M.J. Thompson

After a lifetime of creating what I call "learning opportunities" for myself, I thought I understood pain. Then I lost my son and discovered that some injuries don't heal the way broken bones do.

Father's Day looks different after losing a child. This reflection honors the fathers who stayed, the love that shaped a family, and the future Aidan never had the chance to live.

Returning to work reminded me of something I never understood before losing my son: human beings aren't built to comprehend the loss of a child until it becomes their reality. Almost forty-two weeks later, I still don't fully believe Aidan is gone. Maybe denial isn't a stage of grief after all.

Looking back, I see the pattern. Every major trauma in my life led me back to writing. But after losing my son, even words abandoned me—until one morning, they found their way back.

In this honest and unexpectedly funny entry from Diary of a Grieving Mother - grief, gardening, and chemical lettuce collide.