A moving prayer for loss of a child

Sibling grief is not often spoken of.. Today is my living sister’s birthday but I have not had contact and I am often thinking of my older sister who died in April 2014.. Reading this prayer in Lorna Byrne’s book Prayers From the Heart made me think of how sad it was for my Mum when we lost my older sister a few years before she died in 2017. I ended up seeing a lady who gave me some lovely writing on sibling grief after Judy died. I will link to that post when I find it..

Thinking about my sister dying was prompted by reading this I wanted to share this prayer along with Lorna’s commentary on it.. It took me back to the final half a day of my sister’s life as I sat with her holding her hand about 8 hours before the family had her taken off life support.. But this is more a prayer for those who may have lost a child and for those siblings affected by the illness or loss of another sibling.

Prayer in Grief

God, please help me

As I sit here at the side of my dying child (or siblings) bed.

Give me strength. Help me.

Surround me with your angels.

As I look at my child, holding their hand, kissing them, and knowing in my heart

You are going to take them home to heaven,

And I don’t want you to.

But I know you will.

Help me God.

Amen.

When we know a loved one is dying and they are not going to be here with us for very much longer it is a heartrending thing. For every mother, father and sibling, and for the rest of the family to watch a child dying is the most distressing experience one can ever go through in life. No one can know, no one can imagine what this grief is like ; only those mothers and fathers and siblings who have lost a child themselves. It is horrendous, a mother or father holding their child in their arms, for the last time, giving them that last kiss, saying their goodbyes, or a sibling missing their sister or brother for the rest of their life.

The grieving is just as hard for them as it is for all adults, even the Mum and Dad. Sometimes adults forget that siblings are grieving too for their brother or sister. They struggle, not wanting to cause any more pain and hurt for their Mum and Dad, so don’t forget to ask that boy or girl how they are coping. Remind them that their guardian angel is right there with them.