Helo @ddn,

I am so sorry to learn of the loss of your son. There is an organization called, Compassionate Friends. The goal of this organization is to support families who have lost children. Here is a link to the website.
https://www.compassionatefriends.org/
You can find information about support groups including online groups. It is important to talk about your son, with others who have also lost a child.

I applaud your courage to reach out on this forum and to discuss this. I hope that others who have lost children will join you in this discussion. Also, use this forum to talk about your son. Share your memories. There is no way to recover from your loss but there is a way through it and sharing and talking about it is a good way.

In the meantime, will you reach out to Compassionate Friends?

Hello @ddn, Your message touched my heart. My son passed away in 2022. Then I lost my husband, his father, more recently. My husband was very ill, but I also believe his heart was broken from the loss of our son. These are some of the things that help me: I have a very strong faith, and a clergy person I can speak with. Sometimes that may sound cliche….but there is definitely a power greater than myself carrying me through this. I do yoga and try to walk or do some other physical exercise every day. I have some friends and family who lift me up….and I don’t hesitate to reach out to them when I need to talk. I try to keep busy….I am retired, but can fill in at my old job, and do so when asked. Sometimes I have to force myself to do the above activities, but I know they are necessary. And some days, many days, it still seems surreal that my sweet son is gone. He was such a shining light in my life….
I have reached out to Compassionate Friends, and they send a very helpful newsletter that you can read online. There are also some online grief groups that you can join….just to honor your loved one and spend some time with others who have experienced the same loss.
It also helps to take life One Day at a Time…..don’t think too far into the future. But DO plan some simple things to look forward to…a lunch date with a good friend…a get together with a family member.
Sending you a hug….