Ten years after the death of her son, Andrew, Christine Lord tells Kathryn Knight of the Daily Mail of the pain she experiences when people expect her grief to end with the passage of time.
“I don’t chatter on about Andrew needlessly, but when others talk about their children or parenting, I want to share my stories, too — to recall his smile, his jokes, his work successes. Yet, all too often, reactions to a mere mention of his name range from awkward silence to cringeing embarrassment,” she said. “Yet how could we possibly forget? Andrew will always be a part of my family, and a part of me.”
“And yet, loss is an inevitable part of life, and one we will all suffer. So the next time a bereaved parent talks about their child, please don’t walk away. Instead, be brave. Listen, laugh and reminisce with them. They will be more grateful than you can know.”
Christine Lord has written a book about this topic.
