A few weeks ago, different tragedies brought
three new members to the grieving mothers club in my very own community. My heart wept for them, knowing the darkness
that lay ahead. I was traveling when the
devastating news reached me, stuck in an airport waiting for my delayed flight
home. A thousand miles away, there was
nothing I could do to comfort these mothers as they faced a hell we know well. Instead, I poured my heart out to them in a welcome
letter of sorts, a blog entry I titled, The Wailing Tent.
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The Wailing Tent touched a tender nerve in
many, and I received kind notes from women around the world. Although we may be strangers from different
countries or cultures, inside the tent we all speak the language of an
irreplaceable sorrow that others simply do not understand.
While no one would argue that life is full of
loss in many forms, the dynamics of losing a child are unique, setting us distinctively
apart from all other grievers. One need to
spend only a moment on the numerous Facebook groups to grasp the depths of
sadness that torments every part of our body, mind, and spirit.
Yet there is only so much that can be
shared through written blogs and Facebook posts. Furthermore, reading and writing are one-way
dialogues in which many nuances get lost, thus increasing the challenge faced by friends
and family as they try to understand. Is there a way we can help them appreciate
the never-ending shadows we tackle daily?
A way that would also allow us to support each other outside the wailing
tent? My brain began to weave through a tapestry
of possibilities in search of an answer.
And then it dawned on me. Yes, there is another way to collectively offer
each other comfort while helping to raise grief awareness. And I was already doing it, albeit in another
form. Recently I began hosting a local
radio show as the voice of the small town I lived in. I was learning about the new world of digital
media, and…dare I say….enjoying myself.
But could I create a radio show, a voice, for grieving mothers? A radio show that would reach all who speak
the language of our sisterhood, while helping others to understand our journey? Doubt permeated my thoughts, for who am I but
one shattered mother? A permanent griever
who puts pen to paper to share my heart’s sorrows with the world on occasion. But the idea of a radio show nagged me,
beckoned me, and I continued to wonder “….what if….?”
And then this morning I received yet
another heartfelt response to The Wailing Tent, and my thoughts conjured up
Albert Einstein, the famed physicist who once said, “Strive not to be a success,
but rather to be of value.” And my doubt
lessened as my determination for my sorrow to be of value grew.
Though the heartfelt language shared within
the tent will never be fully understood by those standing outside, sharing our
conversation on a public platform will help others better understand our unique
journey, why the sadness permeates every facet of our life. And by doing so, we help to raise grief awareness
for not just those around us, but for everyone.
Who better to help the world understand that grief doesn’t follow a tidy
little timeline than those of us who speak the language of the wailing
tent? If we offer each other a soft
shoulder and warm ear, and work together to raise grief awareness through a
radio show, then wouldn’t that be of value to us all?
Please join grieving mothers everywhere for
the inaugural episode of GoodGRIEF Talk Show on Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at
7 pm PDT. Angie Cartwright, founder of
National Grief Awareness Day will share her story and then take live
calls. For more information, or to
listen to the show, please visit www.goodgriefww.com.
