To everyone at Compassionate Friends,
Thank you again for your card and kind words in remembering our beautiful girl Stephanie. It’s been 11 years, but as in your many articles, it does not get any easier in the lead up to the date. The guilt and what ifs’ still come to the front of your mind.
All I wish is that this special club that we all belong to starts getting smaller. Our heart goes out to all the families who belong to Compassionate Friends.
I would like to say thank you for your beautiful card and kind words. Such lovely words that meant so much to me, just knowing someone remembered my son, even though they didn’t know him. It was a lovely feeling and made a difference to my day.
Some days the pain is so great and overpowering. I don’t think it gets any easier when it was suicide. We are left with so many questions.
My son was very loving, every time he said goodbye, he said “I love you Mum” and now as a whole family, we say it every day when we speak to each other. That was his gift to us.
To the wonderful people at Compassionate Friends,
THANK YOU for your care, compassion, kindness and support over the past 5 months since my sister Catherine’s passing.
I don’t know how I would have made it this far without you.
Lots of love
Suzie
The day Darren died, my life and my world changed forever. He was only 31 and died from a motorcycle accident. What a shock to his two brothers, his Dad, family and friends. From the first day, I went to a TCF meeting and met others who like me were grief stricken, none of us knowing how to go on with life, how to speak about our child who had died and all of us suffering so much pain. Yes, I was blessed I found the Compassionate Friends. Of course, I had supportive family and wonderful friends, who loved me, but no one really understood how I felt. How could they??
My new TCF friends were always there, for a hug, to just listen and let me talk about Darren, to laugh or cry. Time does heal, but it’s been the support, love and empathy from my friends at The Compassionate Friends, that got me through the first two most difficult years. It’s now been 21yrs and I still feel loved, supported and understood by the people who unfortunately suffered like me. Knowing each other gave us strength and the courage to find a life again.
Pat – Bereaved mother of Darren (31)
You have obviously helped so many people, touched so many hearts, from the oldest members, to myself, just new.
Apart from being in my darkest hour (having lost my beautiful boy so tragically on Mother’s Day), I was full of despair. I kept hearing “you will never be the same again” and as someone normally so full of love, light and joy, I was very scared…. what did this mean? What did I have to look forward to?
Well today (my first time at Compassionate Friends) what did I see? It gave me HOPE. Yes, it may be “a marathon”, but there IS light at the end of the tunnel. So many beautiful people, whose hearts have been torn apart in the cruellest way, who understood what I was going through… People smiling, chatting, crying, welcoming me in. It gave me HOPE. Something that had disappeared these last few weeks, after having scattered the Ashes of my son on a cold lonely beach just two weeks ago.
This “new normal” may be so beyond painful and cruel, yet it looks so beautiful – such open hearted, kind, compassionate people, all in the same room – yes, the name is very apt: “Compassionate Friends”.
I felt like I had found a new home. People who understood and empathised with what I was going through, feeling so lost, dark and alone. Yes, I have friends, yes I have support, but no-one, however well intentioned, not even my (professional) Counsellor could “get” what I am going through.
I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to you and your beautiful group. You have given me hope for the marathon; yes, there IS light at the end of the tunnel.
Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart
I just wanted to say thank you for all that you do. My twin sister, Elizabeth, passed on 11th November, and your material has really helped me. The anniversary card remains in my car so every day when I drive to and from work, it reminds me that there are people out there who care and have suffered great loss. My sister loved butterflies and the card has multiple butterfly stickers on it. This made me smile. It is still a tough journey ahead, but it is people like you that help us get through. Thank you again!
To all the caring people that work at Compassionate Friends,
We thank you for all your support you have shown us in the nearly 12 years since the death of our son Jason. We could not have survived this sad journey without this and attending many meetings that have helped me to come through to the other side. We will always miss Jason and still have our bad days, but the things we have learnt from you all and the very helpful magazines have set us on the right path. I keep every magazine and refer to them often. Thanks so much and I know you will continue this great work.
Love and best wishes to you all and many, many thanks for being there for me on that sad first phone call.
To the Wonderful Team at Compassionate Friends,
I would like to thank you all over the last two years for sending me a lovely card each anniversary and for the newsletters. I am now feeling more confident and settled in accepting my brother’s loss.
Dear Compassionate Friends,
I would like to thank you for the support, love and the compassionate words you have given me over the last nine years since my beautiful daughter Rebecca passed away on the 9/6/2007. “Suicide” heading your wonderful magazine each month made me realize how many parents there are suffering the same sadness and so I am able to give some thought to others knowing I am not the only one to lose a child. I think of Rebecca every day, some days there are tears, others much laughter and smiles. I would like to thank the special Mums who wrote and sent beautiful cards. Just beautiful! So once again, I thank you.
Dear Everyone at The Compassionate Friends,
Thank you for the card and inserts, for Andrew’s first anniversary. I haven’t been to many meetings but really find your magazines extremely helpful, and I know that I can call, or drop by at any time.