By Kara L.C. Jones
There is so much information
in this month's issue that
I don't know where to start!
We have some amazingly open
and honest poetry this time
along with one short story.
These writers are really
putting the truth of their
experiences out on the line
here, and I'm so grateful
that they felt Kota was
a good space for these pieces.
We also have many updates
from the MISS Foundation,
from the National office
as well as from the local
chapters in CA, IL, and
ID. Also, Kathy Evans from
the NJ chapter offers us
an article (along with two
editor's notes from moi)
about how to address the
"qualifying" of
grief -- you know, when
some says something dumb
like, "at least you
had x-amount of time with
your child," or some
other thing to qualify the
way you feel grief. We also
have a plain old "Dumb
Things Said" article
that is geared more towards
the dumb things professionals
have said to bereaved parents
along the way. Plus we have
other articles about taking
a solid look at "a
different kind of parenthood"
and we look at being pro-active
when the "death cursed
mom" syndrome hits
you.
Also, this issue we have
two wonderful articles put
together from the folks
over at the Kota Discussion
& Support Group over
on Yahoo. We're back with
a long page full of quotes
about death, dying, and
living with grief. Some
of those quotes are really
miracles in the ways my
perspectives shifted after
just reading them. Then
we have the "Grief
Journey Q & A"
which I am so please to
be bringing to you. Stephanie
Marrotek over on the group
is hosting this "one
question a day" journey
where she asks the entire
group to consider a question.
Everyone is free to post
and start discussion. Some
of them are giving me permissions
to post their answers in
a monthly column here. Their
answers are heart-breaking,
honest, real, and insightful.
Hope you'll take a gander.
As always, we hope you
find some small bit of help,
support, or inspiration
for your journey of grief
as we learn to live life
after the deaths of our
children.
Miracles to you,
Kara
L.C. Jones, Dakota's Mommy
Editor-In-Chief, KotaPress
This page is dedicated to Dakota
Born and died March 11, 1999
Kara
lives on Vashon Island which
is a much more awesome place
than she ever imagined it
would be. She is a poet,
bookmaker, wife, teacher,
mother to a stillborn son,
facilitator, tech consult,
founder, struggling p.t.barnum,
turtle faithful, editor,
artist, and a million other
things that will prevent
you from putting her in
any one particular label
box! Kara teaches through
local art centers, artists
in the schools programs,
KotaPress and independently.
To find out more about her,
see:
http://www.KotaPress.com/kara/karajones.htm
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