Hi mzmojo,

How are you doing today?

I’m sorry to hear about your mother’s death.  You and I share the same birthday.

For both Andreadzel and yourself it’s going to take time to process such a monumental loss.  After my mom died, it was more than one year before I felt like myself again.

It was then I started to create a memory book for my nephews who were babies at the time. More than just random retold memories of her, I wanted the boys to really know what she was like as a person. I wrote a short story about her, starting with her life as a child, young person, married woman and mother. I wrote about small things too, like how at family wedding she was always the first to try to get the bride and groom to kiss. I went through family photos and found images that matched to what I had wrote about. I used an online publisher to print 3 hard copy versions of what I called “the Grandma Marilyn Book”. I gave them as gifts to my siblings to read to my nephews. Last Thanksgiving, I heard my eldest nephew who is 7, recounting a story about Grandma Marilyn to the younger boys.

My thoughts are with you,

GWTBB

• Meet Embee here: Gone 6 months and I still feel empty

• And Nikki here:My world will never be the same again 

Hello
It's been some time since this thread was active - over a year has passed. And Andreadzel and mzmojo, I know it's been just over two years since each of you lost your mothers. Have you found helpful ways of getting through the anniversary? We started a thread Surviving Grief: One Step at a Time - if you would like to read what other members have said or add your comments.

Beanie722 posted today -  I lost my friend a month ago  - one year after a dear friend died. She says that she is having trouble with isolation and anger as the anniversary approaches. If any of you are able to write her words of support I know she would appreciate it.  

Thanks for thinking about it.
Katherine