October 2019: Pregnancy and Infant Loss
After losing our infant son Carter almost nine years ago, one of the things that has helped me heal is stories. Stories gave me a framework to navigate and normalize my grief. They helped me find words to articulate pain that often left me mute and grappling in the dark. Even today, I find solace in shared suffering.
October 15 is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, so for the entire month of October, I’m making space on my website for stories—stories from women who have lost and who have seen God poke through their grief.
For some of you, such pain is fresh. Your own burden is so heavy, you cannot take on the weight of someone else’s. I get it. I’ve been there. So if you need to unfollow or come back next month, please do what you need to do.
But know my desire in telling these stories is for God’s glory to be revealed, for our hearts to find strength in what’s hard, and for we as people to find compassion and understanding for grieving families in our own communities.
Friends, there’s deep grace in shared suffering, through the simple act of telling our stories. We may be tempted to look away, but instead let’s lean in. Listen. Let God speak through the pain so that we can see him more clearly.
To join us this month:
You can follow along on Instagram and Facebook, but your best option is to SUBSCRIBE to my once-a-month newsletter The Shelf, which will go out on October 15. In addition to having the stories sent to your inbox, this month’s issue will also include:
Feature article: “What I Wish My Friends Knew about Losing a Child”
NEW e-book FREE for ALL subscribers: Be Still: Leaning Into God When Everything Falls Apart (A 30-Day Devotional) featuring writers like Hayley E. Morgan, Sarah K. Butterfield, Grace Kelley, Sara R. Ward, Christy Cabe, Allison Graber, myself, and more.
Additional resources for grief and loss
Check out the video below to find out more, and if you have any questions or want to share your own story with me, you can connect with me anytime at sarah@sarahewestfall.com.