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friends after their chidren died at around the same time and told the priest how much comfort they got from each other. From there grew the first loosely-knit organization. The idea reached this country in 1972 with a small group in Miami.
“It’s not for everyone,” Linda said, and added that the local group serves in different ways. For one recent caller, one phone call was enough to pressure her that someone did understand. The thought of helping someone who needs this special comfort keeps members interested after they have received support themselves. Sam said that the group plans to send a short sympathy note to bereaved parents explaining the group and offering their help. “That waiy, they can just not respond if they don’t want to,” she said.
Educating the community is another goal. The local chapter will be receiving materials helpful to clergymen. “Many ministers and priests feel just as helpless with a child’s death as the rest of the world,” Sam said. “It’s important that people earn more about this painful subject.”
Linda emphasized that members were not professionals. “We’re not offering therapy,” she said. “But the non-judging acceptance is therapeutic.”
The group does not offer or promise a cure, as it knows there is no real cure. Recovery is not discussed at meetings, but rather finding new hope and direction. Members are not urged to forget, to be strong, to “cope”. But members hope, as all compassionate friends hope for each other, that they will find peace.
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