It is so very odd that we have the terms “widow” and “widower” and we have “orphan,” but we have no term for those who have lost their children. Other than words like the bereft, those who mourn and weep, the wounded….
You may also like
This is a continuation of my lecture given at the Cornell Graduate Christian Fellowship and Chesterton House in early April. My title was “My God, my […]
“YOU NEVER KNOW what may cause tears. The sight of the Atlantic Ocean can do it, or a piece of music, or […]
This essay was written as part of the outreach program of The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Lexington to continue to minister […]
I heard an excellent paper yesterday on Job. Unfortunately I missed the beginning due to meetings and so I did not have […]

5 thoughts on “No words”
A haunting quote from Six Feet Under: Brenda: You know what I find interesting? If you lose a spouse, you’re called a widow, or a widower. If you’re a child and you lose your parents, then you’re an orphan. But what’s the word to describe a parent who loses a child? I guess that’s just too f**king awful to even have a name.
I never watched that show Andrew, but I certainly appreciate the sentiments.
I’m not sure one word is big enough to describe losing a child. My heart breaks for you.
You are so right…no words. Also no words for someone who has lost a sibling. As someone who also lost a sibling in a sudden, unexpected, and still hard-to-fathom situation, one of the hardest questions for me to answer is “How many siblings do you have?” in random situations by random strangers. My thoughts are with your daughter and your family.
Regards,
-An older sis that lost her little bro