I have felt and understood the meaning of this phrase many times, in both good and not so good stages of life. But never have these words had a more profound meaning than now as I try to carry on living without my daughter. Living in the moment has become a necessity to survive.

Last week, I caved. I compromised my goals in order to keep my sanity. This week I can write about it.

Am I on the “right” track with my grieving process or am I so far gone in my thinking that I will never survive this? Do others feel the same or am I alone in my grief? Should I reach out for support?

Am I crazy to contemplate leaving this life to be with my deceased child? Is it normal to think about taking my own life so that I might find my dear daughter and be together again? Is it ok to want to leave this world to be with her in her new world? If I leave this place, will the pain go away?

My pain is worse than anyone can imagine. How can I possibly feel compassion toward their loss? Learning to identify, not compare, the pain of losing a loved one.

You don't even want to brush your teeth let alone be responsible for someone else. You just want to be numb. How is it possible that we can still be a mom to our living children?

Going back into the public domain can feel terrifying after your child dies. Will I bump into someone I know? Will a stranger know how sad I am? Will I burst into tears? These are some of the questions you'll ask yourself before you venture out again.

I never quite knew why women would wail after a death of a loved one. It’s a cultural difference and/or a religious difference, I always thought. But now I understand. It's a physical response to grief.

Thinking about funeral arrangements and how to do them is really the last thing you want to think about when your child dies. Logically, you know it has to be done. Emotionally, you are crippled. Here are a few things that worked for us.

There is no process for grieving. There is no right way to grieve. Here are some things that helped me through that first week after our daughter died.