Episode 228: Regina: A Sister's Grief

Losing a Child: Always Andy's Mom

As you know, I primarily speak with bereaved parents on this podcast, but occasionally, a story touches me and I feel nudged to share it with you. This is most certainly the case with today's guest, Regina. My regular listeners will also notice that this week's podcast is titled differently than others. We do not list by name the sibling that Regina lost because Regina actually lost FOUR siblings at four different times, two as infants and two as young adults. She lived the grief and watched her parents grieve four different times.

Regina had been listening to the podcast for quite some time before deciding to write. She ultimately decided to share her family's story on the podcast to honor her sweet parents as well as her sister and three brothers. Their family's grief journey started just before Regina's 6th birthday and has continued for almost 50 years. She says that the grief has shaped her family. As horrific as the grief has been, Regina also knows that they have a deeper love for each other after having lived through this pain together.

You might guess that this is a podcast episode that is filled with sadness, but that would not be the case. This is an episode filled with hope and love. It is a story of a family who faced obstacle after obstacle and kept showing resilience even as more and more spaces filled in the family cemetery plot. As Regina's mom was in the final days of her life at the age of 81 this past year, she kept folding and refolding a towel, holding it close to her face. She murmured something that Regina could not hear until she drew close. Her mom was saying, "Mommy's here" over and over again. Regina knew that in her last days, her bereaved mama was again holding her lost children. Now, she is buried with her husband and four of her twelve beloved children, and Regina is comforted with the knowledge that although her parents no longer live with her here on this earth, they are with her four siblings for eternity.

***Also, listen for the most amazing moment in the history of this podcast near the end! I promise it will bring happy tears to your eyes.