This is my story. This is my song- a memory of my growing up years.

I love to listen to people's stories.  I could do this every day and never get bored because if they have a story then something, good or bad, profoundly impacted them in such a way that it left a indelible mark in their life to want to share it with others. The stories I'm especially drawn to are the ones where profound loss occurred.  We live in a time where it seems these types of stories are more prevalent in the lives of people. As I listen to those stories, I'm reminded that few of us are equipped with the tools to navigate through grief as losses occur.



I was reminded in a dream  a loss that profoundly effected the families who lived in the Ford road/18th street neighborhood of St. Louis Park, Minnesota. There was a family who lived on the corner with a little boy named Danny. Danny was the same age as my younger brother. They were both in early elementary school. I have memories of my younger brother playing with Danny either at our house or at Danny's home until one day my parents received a phone call letting our family know that their son, Danny, died last night. We would soon learn that Danny died from Meningitis.  Like my daughter Maria, his death was sudden without any warning they could have grabbed onto that would have saved his life.



It is these sudden losses that leave a permanent mark on the brains of people who suffer them.  As a community we need to do a better job at communicating empathy to bereaved people. Rather than saying "I'm so sorry for your loss and walking away," sit down with them and listen, really listen to the anguish of their pain for this is what bereaved people need from you.



As we go through this life our brains become a storage vault of our pain.  This is my story, this is my song, is a reminder of Jesus Christ precious love for each of us.  Your story becomes your platform of sharing how God carried you through the losses of your life.



If you are processing a pain so deep from a sudden loss I encourage you to look at a 13 week group called Grief share.  Grief share will teach you the skills of how to go through pain rather than simply burying it in the ground.  https://www.griefshare.org