A Shared Loss

Today started with a new client. As with all new clients, there is always the talk of children. How many kids do you have. Seems to be the most common question. I then have to decide how to handle this question. Do I talk about it, or do I not. She wanted to know if I had kids in school. I proceeded to tell her, oh no my son is almost 24. Not meaning to leave Shane out, but not sure if I wanted to go there. As our conversation continued, I decided to tell her I had another son who had passed. Sometimes the response is an uncomfortable feeling, as if you almost wish you hadn't mentioned it. And other times they just continue to talk as if they didn't hear you at all and then you feel even worse. Today I shared my story with her as I held her precious 9 month old daughter in my arms. Her eyes immediately filled with tears. I felt so bad for telling her about losing Shane it was obvious it hit her in a different way than most. I said, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry. As she stood there with tears filling her eyes, she shared the loss of her unborn baby just 18 months earlier. This complete stranger stands in front of me, but I felt closer than ever to her as we endured a very deep loss. I had my son 14 years, but she never got to know her sweet baby at all. It was a blessed moment between us as we shared our broken hearts.