I feel like I did at the beginning...lost, angry, sad beyond belief. This is an article I wrote back then that resonates to me loudly today.

We’ve been living under a cloak of shock. The cloak is velvety and soft, almost comforting, but very heavy and burdensome and at times feels like it might cover me up. Still, under it is a better place than being without it altogether.

When Bella came home one day and told me that no one at her school had ever had a sister or brother die and that no one knew how she felt, my radar went on high. Was she telling us she felt alone? Did she need to get help with a therapist or a counselor? What is a moment of feeling bad for herself?

When Aine died we heard a new sound. Emptiness.

We recognize how difficult it must be for others to know how to behave around us. It’s like walking on egg shells trying to say the right thing or not say the wrong thing to us, the emotionally fragile parents.

We all have experiences in our lives that have caused us to feel regret. Since our daughter died, the feeling of regret will haunt us forever.

Trying to go back to familiar places or to redo some of the same activities is heart wrenching. You never know which place or activity is going to trigger a memory and if it does, how poignant will it be?

Trying to live and move forward after your child dies is one life’s most tragic obstacles and I have found that the Fake it till you make saying applies under these circumstances, not so much as a formula to be upbeat but as a mantra of survival.

"Do you have any brothers and sisters?", the other mom asked nicely and politely. Several shock waves traveled through me. Within seconds, I underwent numerous emotions; disbelief, anger, sadness, fear. How do I answer?

How on earth do I get my living child (children) back to school after their sibling has died? Ideas to help you prepare for getting your loved one(s) back to school after their brother or sister has died.