Comments About Journey of Hearts^TM
2001 to 2002 - Part 1

The words I have just read have helped me, they have helped me grieve and to put into words just how I feel. I shall share them with my family and friends. Thanks

The messages there were actually what I have been needing most recently as I have been under a lot of stress and have been ignoring my heart's need to carry on my grief work over the losses of both parents and a younger brother within the past 10 years, the diagnosis of life threatening illness in myself and my remaining sibling.

Please accept my thanks.
Thanks again

Thanks for your time.
Kind regards,

During that time, I married to a great, wonderful man. You gave me the inspiration to release butterflies in memory of my parents. It was the most poignant part of the day!

Sadly, I've returned to "Journey" once again. After a few blissful weeks of pregnancy, I miscarried our first babies (twins) three days ago. Needless to say, I've been having a really hard time. Today was an especially hard day--it's my mom's three year death anniversary. Our babies were supposed to be a gift from God to make up for losing them. I'm working on trying to move on, so I checked your site.

On the Loss page, the first thing I saw was the quote about courage ("It isn't for the moment, you are struck..."). I remember reading those words almost a year ago, and it felt like an old friend. I had this instant feeling of comfort because I remembered what it was to get through something you never thought you could get through. I know I am blessed with a lot of friends and family who are able to help me get through this, but this kind of experience is more rare amongst them. I'm ashamed to say that I am sick of the pitiful speeches, stupid questions and awkward silences I've been having. I heard the "it just wasn't meant to be" speech so many times now.

On-line resources such as yours are SO important. It gives me the chance to be proactive about what I need without shoveling through the drivel. I don’t know how I would be able to get through this bad time without it. I find myself thanking you again for this support--it is exactly what I need to help me heal, and find my way out of the dark places of my immense sorrow.

In addition to your site, I have also visited my priest and visited a pregnancy loss board for other women who've experienced this loss. Through all these resources, I've been able to come to terms with my loss. I am grieving still and probably will for some time, but realize that my babies, however brief they were with me, WERE an incredible, beautiful and wonderful gift. For a short time, I got a chance to love someone with all my being. I felt the wonder and capacity of that level of emotion, and am awed. I realize that when the time eventually comes (hopefully) that I will hold my own healthy baby in my arms. I will not worry about what I can and can't do for it that is of the material or physical world, because I will be able to give it the one thing that matters-LOVE. All the rest that I could ever hope for my child WILL follow naturally. Through this, they will have a sense of belonging, roots, self-esteem, everything that really matters.

On this day, when I had thought I would not even been able to leave my bed this morning, I WAS given the greatest, most wondrous, beautiful gift...for a brief time, I WAS A MOTHER...

Thank you again. Don't ever stop doing the "Journey of Hearts". We all need it to get through our own "travels".

Love,

Thanks

Best wishes,

I think your site is really good, very helpful. It seems to cover everything that anyone would need who is in the throes of the grieving process...as well as those...who are well on their way to "moving on."

Please don't think it overly dramatic, but a site like this can literally save someone's life. God bless you. Your site has helped me immeasurably and I could never thank you enough. God bless you for wanting to share your pain to help others who are hurting.

5/15/2001 would have been our 8th wedding anniversary and Joe's 58th birthday. I thought that i would be ok if I stopped taking my rx's, which I've taken since...my husband died. After the self-assessment quiz and wakefield questionnaire, maybe I do need to discuss the rx's with my physician and need to continue therapy.
I realize that the attitude of "I can do this myself" is foolish. After exploring this website for more than two hours, I know I'll be a frequent visitor, and once again, feel forever grateful for the wonderful friend Lisa is, in finding this and sharing it with me. Thank you Lisa for this gift, one of many for which I will be ever so grateful for.

Thank you Kristi,

This project is our final exam grade. We have to choose 15 poems on a certain topic and I chose to use the topic of overcoming. I feel that Guardian Angel is a poem that shows how people feel like giving up and have nothing to live for, but then God steps in and He helps you to stand firm and over come the obstacles you are facing no matter how tough they are all you have to do is hold on. There is a poem section, a reflection section where we write our reactions to the poems, and an author section where we give a biography (birth, death, college, writing style, influences on writing) of the author. Thanks for replying so quickly.

Part 2: My teacher liked my project and the fact that I had to e-mail my authors for the author section. Guardian Angel really made me realize that God is with me every step of the way. I read your bio and I must say that I'm amazed. To see a child of God strive so far. I want to go into the medical field someday and you've only inspired me more. God is truly amazing and He is showcasing His children. Stay blessed, highly favored and anointed to prosper. I'm glad that I found your poem. I got an "A" :)))

Just thought I would write a quick note to tell you Thank You,

I sent your web address to my friend who recently lost her husband to a long bout of cancer back in April, 2001. Just recently the numbness has worn off, and she's struggling with depression.

Thank you again for your caring, compassionate touch with dignity!

Respectfully,

Because of the many losses I had experienced in my life and my musical upbringing, I have become a therapeutic harpist playing for cancer and hospice patients. Oncologists and hospice staff are extremely supportive of the music and its effects.

I celebrate the valuable work that you are doing and will be sharing it widely with others.

I would like to know if there is a book that we could read that would help us understand the dying process better. Also, anything she could read that would enable her to discuss his imminent death with him. I know it is painful. My husband and I had to discuss his possible death when he was diagnosed with lymphoma 2 years ago.

Again, thanks so much for that poem. I know it was targeted for the physician but it sure hit home with me.

If I go while you're still here-know that i live on, vibrating to a different measure-behind a veil you cannot see through. You cannot see me, so you must have faith. I wait for the time when we can both soar together again-both aware of each other.

Until then, live your life to its fullest and when you need me, just whisper my name in your heart....I will be there

My husband has filed for divorce and is obviously not sure he did the right thing, but won't turn back. I knew he took his dad's death very hard, which I have no idea of the pain because I have mine, but knowing when mine had a heart attack and had to have triple bypass, just the thought of losing him was horrible, but also know he keeps things bottled up. He rejects the idea that he needs help but with comments he's made since we 1st separated 2 months ago, it became very obvious that him losing his dad was the reason for his actions and back and forth with what he wants. He's pushed me away, the rest of his family and goes to work and then wants everyone to "just leave me alone".

After reading about depression and your web site, I'm hoping that if he reads your site (if he's willing) that maybe he can see himself. His brother always tells him to "get over it" which to me is cold but anyone to avoid rambling, thanks and I PRAY that he will read it and maybe see that grieving is what is causing the changes in him and that he's "normal" and it's o.k. to cry and he doesn't have to pretend to be "happy" around me. I feel like he's between anger and depression because of what he says and how he's withdrawing from everyone.
I love my husband with all my heart and want to stand by him and be as supportive as I can be and again PRAY that he can realize that the problems we have and his lack of feeling love for me or family is part of depression etc. and it will get better at some point and it's not worth throwing our marriage away.

Your site is wonderful, and I thank you for sharing it with parents like myself. People speak of heartache, but after you have lost a child, it is no longer a figure of speech, there is literally a pain in your heart no words can describe. My daughter had gotten a small butterfly on the top of her foot, so your section of Butterflies & Blazes was of special interest to myself and to some of Annie's friends who wanted to get a butterfly tattoo but didn't know why.

Thank you is all I can say.

This was like having a 2nd surgery and being cut on the same scar. I have been on antidepressant for 5 years now and they say I'll have to stay on them for the rest of my life.

I got through the night and that is more profound than you know. Thank you for the cyber lifesaver.