Long term illness

One of a series of leaflets published by The Compassionate Friends The future Families come in many shapes and sizes. Our family might have consisted of simply our child and ourself, or we may have other children. We may have a partner. We may live in a “blended household” that includes stepchildren. Whatever our family has looked like up until this point, this has now changed. Our child is absent. Their physical absence will always leave a void. For many of us, finding ways of carrying the memories of our child into the future becomes very important. By making memory books and photograph albums, or using digital resources, we can produce collections of words and pictures in remembrance of our deceased child. This is for our own benefit, but also to share with family and friends, so that they take a rightful place in our family history. We might also seek out other ways to honour their memories beyond the circle of our family and friends. Children enjoy hearing stories about the family in past years. If we have other children, or if we have another child after the death, we can help them feel part of the re-telling of the family story so that it can develop as they grow older. The future is not going to be what we expected. The illness or condition that took our child might leave us feeling angry or in despair. Yet we can find comfort in the memories of better times. We are parents - our children live in our hearts and memories, and we will always hold them close.