"Helping families and communities prevent and cope with infant and young child loss, one baby step at a time"

John’s Golf Tournament is only 4 weeks away …

There is still time to sign up!  Only 4 weeks until the 4th Annual John D Gomke Charity Classic Golf Tournament! 

This year is full of exciting opportunities and great prizes!  

We hope you will join us Saturday, June 15th at either 7:00 AM or 1:00 PM or even all day!

What your friend needs from you most, when their child becomes an angel…

I am often asked by people what they should do after their loved one, friend, neighbor or long lost childhood friend has a child who becomes an angel.  After being on both sides of the fence & having my own angel baby I’ve realized we don’t know what we need at the time.

Over the last few years I have realized a few things that I needed & what helped to get us through some rough patches…even now 4 years later we still sometimes need.  First and foremost, everyone grieves differently, and a true friend will respect that.  

Here is a something I read on a precious angels Memorial Page and it is perfectly worded!  So if you are wondering what to do, read the note below, it says exactly what we all truly need whether we know it or not at the time. Don’t let your friend feel abandon in their greatest time of need.  They need you, no matter how much it feels like they are pushing you away! 

Dear Friend, 

Please be patient with me; I need to grieve in my own way and in my own time.  Please don’t take away my grief or try to fix my pain. The best thing you can do is listen to me and let me cry on your shoulder.  Don’t be afraid to cry with me.  Your tears will tell me how much you care. 

Please forgive me if I seem insensitive to your problems.  I feel depleted and drained, like an empty vessel, with nothing left to give. 
Please let me express my feelings and talk about my memories. Feel free to share your own stories of my loved one with me. I need to hear them. 

Please understand why I must turn a deaf ear to criticism or tired clichés. I can’t handle another person telling me that time heals all wounds. Please don’t try to find the “right” words to say to me.  There’s nothing you can say to take away the hurt. What I need are hugs, not words. 

Please don’t push me to do things I’m not ready to do, or feel hurt if I seem withdrawn. This is a necessary part of my recovery. 
Please don’t stop calling me. You might think you’re respecting my privacy, but to me it feels like abandonment. Please don’t expect me to be the same as I was before. I’ve been through a traumatic experience and I’m a different person. 

Please accept me for who I am today. Pray with me and for me. Should I falter in my own faith, let me lean on yours. In return for your loving support I promise that, after I’ve worked through my grief, I will be a more loving, caring, sensitive, and compassionate friend-because I have learned from the best.

http://www.grievinggodsway.com/ 
-written by Margaret Brownley

Article in Lake Panorama Time

Check out this article written by Susan Thompson at Lake Panorama National…

GOMKE CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC RETURNS TO LPN 

Thank you Susan!