11 Comments
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Kat Stano's avatar

Hi Julie, thank you for sharing your incredible story. You went through so many complex situations in addition to grieving your brother. And I'm very sorry. My big brother passed when I was 16 and it's hard to imagine how that loss would've been different at an older age, with a whole new set of life circumstances. I feel for you and am sending you love💗

Katy Parker's avatar

Kat, thank you so much for sharing your hard story in the Grief Stories previously. Sibling loss is so hard, as the living siblings are often the forgotten grievers, so I appreciate everyone raising awareness in this area of grief and loss. Sending 💜

Kat Stano's avatar

❤️❤️❤️

Julie Budge's avatar

Awe thank you for the kind words 🥰

Yvette Allen's avatar

Such a touching story. Everyone navigates grief in their own way, and we all do the best we can with what we're given in that moment.

Katy Parker's avatar

Yvette, so true! Thank you for reading and commenting. I appreciate everyone sharing their hard stories. Thank you!

Julie Budge's avatar

Indeed.💕Such a long time in shadow land tho , half awake , half asleep lulled by the drone of grief and loss that numbed me yet a deeper call sounded and I got to rise higher on the waves.

Tammy's avatar

Julie, thank you for sharing your story. I am currently in the throws of watching my younger brother die of cancer. It's unlike the grief I felt when my 6 month-old daughter died many years ago. I find myself already grieving while my parents and my brother maintain hope that he will beath the cancer -whether by natural remedy or God's healing touch. Meanwhile he's in severe pain, on palliative morphine and continues to decline and lose weight. He lives a 16-hour drive away. I'd like to visit them for Christmas. I wonder will it be "our last Christmas with him" or "our first Christmas without him". Either way it's hard. It hurts. It is painful. Thanks for reading my comment.

Katy Parker's avatar

Tammy, I'm so sorry to hear about your brother and I truly appreciate our conversation. I'm here if you'd like to talk or a listening ear. Anticipatory grief is real. I've shared about it on my Journeyofsmiley website, this may be helpful https://journeyofsmiley.com/what-if-mourning-begins-in-advance-anticipatory-grief-in-invisible-losses/. Sending 🫂and 🙏

Julie Budge's avatar

I’m sending so much love ❤️ thank you for sharing. Sibling grief is so different as it’s about home. Xxx

Katy Parker's avatar

Julie, thank you so much for sharing your hard stories. Yes, sibling grief is so different, and the living siblings are often forgotten grievers. Your story is helping others to know that they are not alone and brings comfort and encouragement. Sending 💜