Category Archives: Grieving Children

The Mary Mac Show | Grieving an Infant Death

The Mary Mac Show PodcastIn Episode 98, we discuss the death of a baby through Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) or Infant Death where a child dies a few months or years into their life and how their parents and family deal with the unanticipated devastation of their loss.

Losing a baby to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, known as SIDS or Crib Death, is a shocking loss as the child can be perfectly healthy, lays down for a nap or at bedtime and when the parent goes to awaken them, they have died.

No one expects that this will ever happen to a child under the age of one and it leaves parents wondering what could have happened, what they could have done differently, if any of this was their fault.

And the answer is that none of this was their fault and, often, even medical professionals cannot explain crib death.

A child can be perfectly healthy, but still succumb to crib death.

Another Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) is when a baby is accidentally smothered during the night when a parent leaves the child with them in the parent’s bed and they don’t realize that they rolled on top of the child suffocating it.

Or when a child is strangled by loose bedding or pillows wherever they have been laid down to sleep and cannot move those items by themselves to breathe.

Or when they fall through the railings of the bed and strangle themselves.

And there are also so many other ways infants die – car crashes, homicide, shaken baby syndrome, illnesses like cancer, etc.

Experiencing an infant death is devastating. It leaves the parents numb and wondering exactly how did this happen and often blame themselves.

In Episode 98, we talk about how to help yourself if you are grieving an infant death and how to deal with the reactions that family and friends might have which can also leave you bewildered.

Bless you my friend.
xoxo

Additional Notes:

As you know I am a great believer in the power of the Emotional Freedom Technique. Here are a few videos that I think will help you tremendously.

EFT Video for Death of an Infant, EFT Video for Grief after Death of a Loved One, How to do Surrogate EFT.

If you need someone to chat with, don’t be shy. It’s totally confidential. Go to Crisis Connections page on my website MaryMac.info to find telephone numbers for Crisis Hotlines around the world.

If you need help finding people who will understand your exact pain, visit my Grief Resources page and look under “Infant Death.”

Visit my site MaryMac.info/books for additional help, especially my book Understanding Your Grieving Heart After a Loved One’s death, the first and best book to reach for as you deal with your grief and How to Help a Grieving Child After a Loved One’s Death to help your surviving children.

You’re welcome to send your questions to the Contact page on my site.

You can obtain my free ebook entitled 21 Things You Must Know About The Grieving Process, available for immediate download right here on this site.

Please subscribe, rate and review on The Mary Mac Show website or Apple Podcasts!

And I’d love your support of my podcast by buying me a coffee.

Thank you.

The Mary Mac Show | Death of a Parent

In Episode 80, we discuss the challenges we face after the death of a mother, father, stepmother, stepfather, or other individual who raised us and how we can help ourselves during our grieving process.

One of the most difficult deaths to endure in our life will be that of our parent or parents.

We think about it on and off during our life, wondering when and how they will leave us. But when it happens, we are stunned.

If after a long illness, we may have a sense of relief not just that their suffering is ended, but also that we, personally, are now free of the burden of caring for them. And sometimes, that bring guilt with it.

And if there is a sudden death, such as a heart attack, stroke, car accident or other unanticipated death, we are shocked to our core.

Listen in to Episode 80 where I discuss this sorrowful passing of one of the most important figures in your life.

Additional Notes:

Visit Crisis Connections at my website to telephone a trained counselor to speak with whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, confused, frightened, fearful or any host of emotions.

Get my book “Understanding Your Grieving Heart After a Loved One’s Death” to help you learn more about what you’re going through.

Learn the Emotional Freedom Technique here for Stress and Overwhelm. It will soothe you and calm you physically and emotionally. Also spend time in this guided meditation on Self Compassion, which we all need. Dr. Arianna also offers many wonderful tapping and guided-meditations to choose from based upon which is best for you.

You can watch Marissa Peer’s “I Am Enough” meditation.

Treat yourself to a lovely gift from our Heart of Gold “I Remember” Products from The Mary Mac Store.

Remember, a portion of all proceeds help fund The Foundation for Grieving Children, Inc., the first national non-profit public charity which benefits children, teens, young adults after a loved one’s death which I established many years ago.

And visit my sites www.MaryMac.info for your free book – “21 Things You Must Know About the Grieving Process,” and my podcast website www.TheMaryMacShow.com, where you can subscribe to my podcast on your favorite platform as well as rate and review.

And remember to sign up for my private list below, so we can always stay in touch. Since social media is no longer reliable, please complete the form below so I can connect with you via email.

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The Mary Mac Show | Memorial Day | Remembering Our Bravest

The Mary Mac Show Podcast

In Episode 78, we honor the memory of those who were killed in the military and how we are affected by their deaths.

If we have family who are service members, we understand the sacrifice entire families make to serve our countries. It’s not just the person who is serving, it is also the rest of the family who has to reorganize their lives without the parent who helps raise the family.

And sometimes these are very long stretches and multiple deployments for these men and women.

But if your family does not have a person serving in the military, perhaps this is unknown to you.

Yet I want you to realize the great sacrifice these families endure, for the benefit of the rest of our citizens. And not just the wives and husbands, but the young ones, too.

And when someone in the military is killed, the families’ entire lives are uprooted.

Please remember our fallen heroes this weekend and when you hear of a bereaved military widow or widower, please help them in any way you can.

Additional Notes:

Visit Crisis Connections at my website to telephone a trained counselor to speak with whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, confused, frightened, fearful or any host of emotions.

Learn the Emotional Freedom Technique here for Stress and Overwhelm. It will soothe you and calm you physically and emotionally. Also spend time in this guided meditation on Self Compassion, which we all need. Dr. Arianna also offers many wonderful tapping and guided-meditations to choose from based upon which is best for you.

You can watch Marissa Peer’s “I Am Enough” meditation.

TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) if you’ve experienced the military death of a loved one. They also help children and teens with camps and programs.

TAPS International which helps families around the globe.

American Gold Star Mothers for those who have experienced the military death of a son or daughter.

Sons and Daughters in Touch for those missing their fathers killed in the Vietnam War in the USA.

Gold Star Family Registry gives you the ability to search a loved one or friend who was killed in military conflict.

*To find a homeopathic doctor, visit here or here. Many offer phone consultations if you cannot find one in your area. They work with patients around the globe. You can also research in your area of the world.

Treat yourself or a bereaved friend or relative to a lovely gift from our Heart of Gold “I Remember” Collection from The Mary Mac Store.

Remember, a portion of all proceeds help fund The Foundation for Grieving Children, Inc., the first national non-profit public charity which benefits children, teens, young adults after a loved one’s death which I established many years ago.

And remember to sign up for my private list below, so we can always stay in touch. Since social media is no longer reliable, please complete the form below so I can connect with you via email.

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The Mary Mac Show | Grieving for an Emotionally or Physically Absent Parent

The Mary Mac Show Podcast

In Episode 76, we discuss the painful subject of grieving when a parent is emotionally or physically absent. They may still be with us or have died, yet the hurt lingers.

It can be especially painful when a parent is not truly connected to you.

Whether they died in childbirth, gave you up for adoption, was seriously impaired by drugs, alcohol or criminal behavior, you suffered from these circumstances.

And as you grew, you might have been neglected or raised by your Dad after your mother’s death, or your Mom after your father’s death.

You might have been raised by a grandparent or even a great-grandparent who took you in and did the best they could.

You might have been put in the foster care system shuffling back and forth among homes.

Whatever your life handed you to this point, it may not have been ideal and you might still harbor pain from your upbringing.

Feelings of resentment, anger, bitterness, sadness, loneliness and isolation may sit just under the surface and still affect you.

We address many of these hurts in episode 76 and I encourage you to not only listen in, but to look at the links below and begin to learn EFT, get help from a hotline when you need to talk and vent, and watch Marisa Peer’s videos on “I Am Enough” so you can begin the healing process.

Sometimes when we experience the death of a loved one, many other issues surface when we are in the grieving process. This may be one of them.

Bless you, my friend. My warrior!

xoxo

Additional Notes:

Visit Crisis Connections at my website to telephone a trained counselor to speak with whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, confused, frightened, fearful or any host of emotions.

Learn the Emotional Freedom Technique here for Stress and Overwhelm. It will soothe you and calm you physically and emotionally. Also spend time in this guided meditation on Self Compassion, which we all need. Dr. Arianna also offers many wonderful tapping and guided-meditations to choose from based upon which is best for you.

You can watch Marissa Peer’s “I Am Enough” meditation.

Bach’s Rescue Remedy will calm and soothe you. Remember, it does have alcohol in if, if that is a concern for you.

Treat yourself to a lovely gift from our Heart of Gold “I Remember” Products from The Mary Mac Store.

Remember, a portion of all proceeds help fund The Foundation for Grieving Children, Inc., the first national non-profit public charity which benefits children, teens, young adults after a loved one’s death which I established many years ago.

And remember to sign up for my private list below, so we can always stay in touch. Since social media is no longer reliable, please complete the form below so I can connect with you via email.

Subscribe

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The Mary Mac Show | Mother’s Day

The Mary Mac Show Podcast

In Episode 75, we remember our mothers and mother figures who made an impact on our lives. We also discuss the pain of bereaved mothers, ladies who struggle to bear the title and those who will never be called “Mom.”

The pain from a mother’s death is often severe especially if we had a wonderful relationship with our Moms.

But, sometimes, our relationship wasn’t as we would expect and we struggle with the ‘what if’s’ and perhaps guilt that may bring.

Yet whatever the relationship, good or bad, that we had with her, we must forgive ourselves and even moreso her for what you needed that you didn’t get, for what you and she said to each other that stung, and all the unfinished business that might still linger that neither of you can do anything about anymore.

We also recognize all the mother figures who raised you and cared for you if your Mom died younger than expected.

And we also talk about bereaved mothers who have buried their child, children or even all their children.

Lastly, we look at women who struggle to have children, those who miscarried or had a stillborn child, as well as those who deal with infertility and/or the knowledge that they may never have children of their own. We also remember women who are older now and wished they had children years ago when it was still possible, or those who never found the right husband to raise a family.

This can be a very melancholy day for some. Let us acknowledge them all.

Listen in to Episode 75 here.

Additional Notes:

Visit Crisis Connections at my website to telephone a trained counselor to speak with whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, confused, frightened, fearful or any host of emotions.

Learn the Emotional Freedom Technique here for Stress and Overwhelm. It will soothe you and calm you physically and emotionally. Also spend time in this guided meditation on Self Compassion, which we all need. Dr. Arianna also offers many wonderful tapping and guided-meditations to choose from based upon which is best for you.

You can watch Marissa Peer’s “I Am Enough” meditation.

Bach’s Rescue Remedy will calm and soothe you. Remember, it does have alcohol in if, if that is a concern for you.

Treat yourself to a lovely gift from our Heart of Gold “I Remember” Products from The Mary Mac Store.

Remember, a portion of all proceeds help fund The Foundation for Grieving Children, Inc., the first national non-profit public charity which benefits children, teens, young adults after a loved one’s death which I established many years ago.

And remember to sign up for my private email list so we can always stay in touch, since social media is no longer reliable. Receive my ebook 21 Things You Must Know About The Grieving Process for immediate download.