Dedicated to Christopher Page TWO

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Christopher James Emerson

For Lisa......

A Bereaved Parent's Wish List....

I wish my child hadn't died.

I wish I had him back.

I wish you wouldn't be afraid to speak my child's name.

My child lived and was very important to me.

I need to hear that he was important to you also.

If I cry and get emotional when you

talk about my child I wish you knew

that it isn't because you have hurt me.

My child's death is the cause of my tears.

You have talked about my child,

and you have allowed me to share my grief.

I thank you for both.

I wish you wouldn't "kill" my child

again by removing his pictures,

artwork, or other remembrances from your home.

Being a bereaved parent is not contagious,

so I wish you wouldn't shy away from me.

I need you now more than ever.

I need diversions, so I do want to

hear about you; but, I also want

you to hear about me.

I might be sad and I might cry,

but I wish you would let me

talk about my child, my favorite

topic of the day.

I know you think of and pray for me often.

I also know that my child's death pains you, too.

I wish you would let me know those things

through a phone call, a card, note, or a real big hug.

I wish you wouldn't expect my grief

to be over in a short period of time.

I wish you could understand

that my grief will never be over.

I will suffer the death of my

child until the day I die.

Grief is a life long process.

I am working very hard in my recovery,

but I wish you could understand

that I will never fully recover.

I will always miss my child,

and I will always grieve that he is dead.

I wish you wouldn't expect me

"not to think about it" or to "be happy".

Neither will happen for a very long time,

so don't frustrate yourself.

I don't want to have a "pity party",

but I do wish you would let me grieve.

I must hurt before I can heal.

I wish you understood how my life has shattered.

I know it is miserable for you

to be around me when I'm feeling miserable.

Please be as patient with me as I am with you.

When I say "I'm doing okay",

I wish you could understand

that I don't "feel" okay and that I struggle daily.

I wish you knew that all of the

grief reactions I'm having are very normal.

Depression, anger, hopelessness and overwhelming

sadness are all to be expected.

So please excuse me when I'm quiet and

withdrawn or irritable and cranky.

Your advice to "take one day at a time" is excellent advice.

However, a day is too much and too fast for me right now.

I wish you could understand that I'm doing

good to handle an hour at a time.

Please excuse me if I seem rude,

certainly not my intent.

Sometimes the world around me goes

too fast and I need to get off.

When I walk away, I wish you would let

me find a quiet place to spend time alone.

I wish you understood that grief changes people.

When my child died, a big part of me died with him.

I am not the same person I was before my child died,

and I will never be that person again.

I wish very much that you could understand

understand my loss and grief,

my silence and my tears,

my void and my pain.

BUT...I pray daily that you will never understand

Some pics of Lisa, JB, & Christopher.........

Angels Among Us

I was walking home from school on a cold winter day.

Took a shortcut through the woods, and I lost my way.

It was getting late, and I was scared and alone.

But then a kind old man took my hand and led me home.

Mama couldn't see him, but he was standing there.

And I knew in my heart, he was the answer to my prayers.

Oh I believe there are angels among us.

Sent down to us from somewhere up above.

They come to you and me in our darkest hours.

To show us how to live, to teach us how to give.

To guide us with a light of love.

When life held troubled times, and had me down on my knees.

There's always been someone there to come and comfort me.

A kind word from a stranger, to lend a helping hand.

A phone call from a friend, just to say I understand.

And ain't it kind of funny that at the dark end of the road.

Someone lights the way with just a single ray of hope.

Oh I believe there are angles among us.

Sent down to us from somewhere up above.

They come to you and me in our darkest hours.

To show us how to live, to teach us how to give.

To guide us with a light of love.

They wear so many faces, show up in the strangest places.

To guide us with their mercy, in our time of need.

Oh I believe there are angels among us.

Sent down to us from somewhere up above.

They come to you and me in our darkest hours.

To show us how to live, to teach us how to give.

To guide us with a light of love.

To guide us with a light of love.