I remember breathing a huge sigh of relief after getting through our first Christmas after Hannah went to Heaven in 2009.  I figured that other than the one-year mark which would be that next February, I had at least survived all the really hard “first year” stuff.  I had no idea how difficult stepping into the new year without her was going to be.  How could I start a new year without Hannah in it?  How could I close the calendar on the last year she had been a part of our family?  If you have not lost a child, this probably doesn’t make much sense to you … but if you have, you know exactly what I’m talking about. 

As time has gone by, there’s still a bittersweetness in starting a new year that Hannah will not be a part of … a year in which fewer and fewer people will remember her, talk about her, or even say her name.  It’s part of what my friend Karen Harmening calls “Long Sorrow”.  Karen and her husband Scott shared their daughter Sarah’s story in Episode 8 … way back when this podcast first began, and she maintains a wonderful blog titled “Listening to Him”.  I’d like to share with you her most recent entry, titled “Long and New Sorrow”.  Wherever you find yourself on this journey of child loss, I believe it will be an encouragement to you. 

To read "Long and New Sorrow" on Karen's blog, click HERE. 

To listen to my interview with Scott and Karen Harmening recorded in September of 2020, click HERE.  

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at: [email protected]