133: Ashley's daughter fell in the pool

Probably the most difficult thing for a parent to experience is losing a child.

It’s often been said that the English language fails us in this area. A woman who loses her spouse is called a widow. If a man is the one who survives his spouse, he’s a widower. A child who has lost their parents is called an orphan.

But why isn’t there a word for a parent whose child has died? Well, it turns out there actually is a word for that.

“Vilomah” is a Sanskrit word that’s been used in Hindu philosophy for centuries. It’s a compound word made up of two words – “vi” which means “against”, and “loma” which means “hair”. The word “vilomah" is often translated as “against the hair” or “against the grain” or “against the natural order of things”.

In recent years, the word “vilomah” has gained popularity outside of Hindu philosophy, and it’s now used to describe a parent who has lost a child. The term “vilomah parent” refers to a parent who has experienced the loss of a child, which is considered to be a violation of the natural order of things.

Ashley lives in Florida, and she knows about that experience. And she’s using her story to help other people avoid what she’s been through.

Great resource for learning about infant swimming, and even finding an instructor local to you:

https://www.infantswim.com/

If you’d like to contact Ashley, you can email her at [email protected].

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Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/133

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