ALEXANDRIA — Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "There's no tragedy in life like the death of a child. Things never get back to the way they were."
Pam Miller, small group ministry coordinator at First Lutheran Church, knows this is true, as her family lost their son five years ago.
This is one of the reasons Miller is now coordinating a support group for parents who have lost a child.
"It's for anyone who has lost a child, any age, and that could be a miscarriage or anything," Miller said. "The concept of it is that we know losing a child is life-changing.
"For a lot of people, they don't feel very supported, they really feel alone. So the feeling is that bringing people together gives us an opportunity to share stories and just support each other through this journey," she said.
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The Grieving Parents Support Group meets at First Lutheran Church on the third Tuesday of each month from 7-8:15 p.m.
The group aims to provide an opportunity for parents to come together and support each other in conversation, education and faith as they express their grief and share memories of their loved ones in a safe environment.
"We just want to hold each other up and be there for each other," Miller said.
When parents lose a child, their lives change, and everyone handles it differently, Miller said.
"I'm really looking at, what do people need," she said. "I just want to open that up to the group to decide what their needs are. …
"Everybody grieves differently," she said. "There's no rule with losing a child."
Everyone is welcome to attend the group, Miller said.
"Anybody that needs the support of other parents is welcome to come," she said. "It doesn't matter how long ago it was, because it's forever.
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"Whether it's fresh or it's been 15 years, it doesn't matter. We carry that pain and that emotion with us, and we want to support that," she said.
