Friends of the Angel, Maple Grove, MN

06/20/2026

For anyone missing a father or a father that is missing a child this is for you. Be gentle with yourself 💞

As Father's Day approaches, I've been thinking a lot about my own father.

My dad lived to be 89 years old, and while I was grateful for every one of those years, his death left a space in my life that can never be filled.

Even now, there are times when something happens and my first thought is, "I should call Dad."

Then I remember I can't.

Grief has a way of making us reach for people who aren’t here. But tonight, I'm also thinking about another group of people.

The fathers who’ve buried a child.

I honestly don't know if there are words big enough for that kind of loss.

As painful as losing my father was, there’s a natural order to it. We expect, at least intellectually, that one day we will say goodbye to our parents. But no parent expects to outlive their child.

No father imagines standing at a graveside saying goodbye to the son he taught to ride a bike or the daughter whose hand once fit inside his.

And yet so many do.

This weekend will be difficult for many people. Some will be missing the father who taught them how to live. Others will be missing the child who gave them a reason to. And some will be carrying both losses at the same time.

If that's you, I just want you to know that you're not alone.

Father's Day can be beautiful. But it can also be heartbreaking. And sometimes it's both at the same time.

So this weekend, whether you're honoring your father, grieving your father, grieving your child, or just trying to make it through another hard day, please be gentle with yourself.

Love doesn't end when someone dies. And neither does the bond between a father and child.

Not really.

Gary Sturgis
Author of: ‘SURVIVING GRIEF - 365 Days A Year’

06/20/2026

Time doesn't heal all wounds. There are no timelines when it comes to grief. And regardless of how much time passes by, it doesn't change the fact that your loved one died.

The outside world will try to tell you enough time has come and gone. That it's time to get over it and move on. There will be subtle pressures around you to get back to life and return to who you were before.

But there is no returning to how things were before and people rarely go back to the same person they were. Deep loss changes people and life changes in both big and small ways.

While grief will soften, Most people will always grieve for their loved ones. They will always miss them and yearn for them for the rest of their days.

That's normal and it's okay. Instead of asking why are you "still" grieving my heart immediately says of why wouldn't you "still" be grieving. Your loved one has died. Your entire foundation and world collapsed under you. Your life turned upside down in a moment's time. And there is not a deep ache in your heart for what was and can no longer be. A void that can't completely be filled.

Don't ever apologize for grieving or feel like you have to hide your grief or pretend like you are just fine when you are hurting and missing and grieving. I know how difficult all of it is and my heart stands with yours. Take good care. Give yourself permission to grieve. Surround yourself with those who get it and keep showing up. Regardless of time.

With love - michele

06/20/2026

{Find help and hope on http://stillstandingmag.com/ }

06/19/2026

06/19/2026

Join us this Monday, June 22nd at 4:00 pm ET for the grief webinar, "Apart From Us, But Always a Part of Us," presented by Lora and Dave Krum. Our children were and are a part of everything we are! How do we survive for the rest of our lives, as we miss them in every moment and every new season? They live on through us! We hope to encourage other grieving parents to discover meaningful and relevant ways in which they too can keep the loving memory of their children present in their own lives. By continuing to carry our love for our sons with us, we continue to learn and share the evolution and transformations of the life we now live, and how we stay intentional with keeping them included. We include the importance of both joy and sorrow as we grow in our grief, and the importance of a grief-informed society (as we realize that so many others in the world continue to avoid the topics of death and grief.) The webinar will be recorded and available to view on our website.

06/19/2026

It's such an innocent question.

“How are you doing?”

But for those of us grieving the loss of someone we love it’s the hardest question to answer.

I mean…what do you say?

Most of the time it's just easier to say, "I'm okay."

Not because we’re actually okay.

Because we’re not.

But because explaining the real answer would take so long.

It’s been my experience that many people don't really know what to do with the real answer anyway, especially if they've never experienced a significant loss.

Because the truth is, grief isn't something you can explain in a thirty-second conversation.

And let's be honest, if we answered truthfully every time someone asked how we were doing, the conversation might go something like this…

"Well, I cried in my car all the way to work. Then on the way home I stopped at the grocery store and couldn’t remember what I needed. Then I walked into my empty house and spent most of the night looking for my glasses while I was wearing my glasses.”

So most of us just smile and say, "I'm okay."

But if someone really wants to know how we’re doing, I think the most honest and accurate reply would probably be, “Terrible…but thanks for asking.” 😏

-Gary

06/19/2026

06/19/2026

There are those heartbreaking losses that seem to come out of nowhere and without warning, your life is suddenly divided into two very distinct parts: life before and life after.

It can feel like everything has changed in the after yet you desperately try to cling on to anything you can from the before.

It's as if there are now two versions of your life and you. There's the you who was more carefree and didn't worry as much. The you who laughed and smiled more. The you who didn't know it was possible to feel such deep pain - because you don't always know until you know.

And now, in the aftermath of a devastating loss you are suddenly carrying grief with you every single day. Trying to adapt, function and just breathe in a world that no longer looks the same. A world you no longer fit into in the same way.

It can be incredibly hard to reconcile all that has changed from how life was before loss turned everything upside down. There was no time to prepare for what was coming and now it feels impossible to move forward or know what to do.

There's nothing easy about this path you are now walking on. A path you didn't choose. Yet you are expected to return to "normal" and go back to your old life and the person you were "before."

But that doesn't happen after a heartbreaking loss. Life won't ever be the same. You can learn to live with it and carry the grief. You can carve a path forward that can hold both grief and joy. And you can find ways to stay connected to your loved ones and continue to love them with all of who you are.

But life will be very different and there won't be a day you don't miss them and want them back. I'm sending you love as you continue to adjust to a very different life and version of who you are. Please know my heart stands with yours. Big hugs.

Michele

06/19/2026

Beautiful

06/18/2026

When a parent loses a child, the last thing they should worry about is whether they'll be able to pay their bills.

The BeliEve Fund exists to help ease some of that financial burden during a parent's hardest moments.

Learn more about the BeliEve Fund and how it supports grieving families: https://www.childlossfoundation.org/child-loss-believe-fund