The Importance of Memorials

Why We Should Be Given the Time and Space to Memorialize our Losses

Announcements!

In September, The Miscarriage Therapist will start three different six-week pregnancy loss support groups!

Visit our website for more information!

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October 15th is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. On that day, I will be hosting a live virtual event. In order to sign up for the event, simply become a paid member of this Substack account. You only need to become a paid subscriber for the month of October! Paid subscribers will receive a link to the event as it gets closer.

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This past week, José and I started watching the US version of “Ghosts,” after very quickly binging the UK version. For those of you unfamiliar with the plot, a young couple inherits their family manor, which is inhabited by an array of ghosts who have previously passed away in the home.

One of the characters, a Viking named Thorfinn, who died over 1000 years ago, informs the couple he never received his Viking burial ritual. The episode ends with the couple and the ghosts giving Thorfinn his funeral. Thorfinn sighs happily, stating how complete he feels.

When a loved one passes away, we hold a funeral. Some of us sit shiva, and some of us lay wreaths of flowers and light candles. These rituals provide comfort and support. They provide an entryway to healing, and they bring a community of people together in mourning. We honor those we have lost (this is a great interview on NPR about the importance of funerals, and why they are fundamental to our grieving process).

But what happens when someone dies before they are even born?