My daughter died two and a half years ago and it feels like yesterday. I am not better; I’m just getting used to feeling this way.

The sights and smells and sounds of the holidays are constant interruptions, annoyances and reminders of times past; we wish this holiday stuff would just go away.

As a bereaved parent, I must remain diligent in paying attention to my feelings so as not to fall into the trap of self-pity while remembering to care for myself emotionally. We walk a thin line.

There is no process for grieving. There is no right way to grieve. Here are some things that helped me through that first week after our daughter died.

I used to love this time of the year. Now it's like rubbing salt in an open wound.

This grieving parent doesn’t want to be asked what I'm thankful for.

What I have seen and heard and felt over these past two years reinforces my belief in the human spirit and its power.

"How can we help?" is a question often asked of us. All people are different so what worked for us might not for someone else. But if you’re stuck wondering what to do, here are some things that we've found helpful during our tragic journey.

I never quite knew why women would wail after a death of a loved one. It’s a cultural difference and/or a religious difference, I always thought. But now I understand. It's a physical response to grief.

We can think of so many questions to ask ourselves why we didn’t do more to prevent our child’s death. We can very often ask these questions and blame ourselves for what has happened.