A lot of my grief now comes with the real processing of the fact that I will never see my child get married. I will never be a grandmother and I will be alone in this world without them.

After your child’s death, you will grieve for the past – for how things were – and for the future you expected but will no longer have. You may not be able to imagine a future without your child. Their death may be accompanied by many losses and changes, only some of which you may have expected. Others may come as a surprise or catch you off guard.

This chapter will explore some of these, including:

• Loss of hopes and dreams

• Changes to your identity

• Parenting as a grandparent