Changed by grief

I commend Harold K. Bush Jr.'s courage in writing about the deep pain and grief after the death of a child ("Grief work," Dec. 11). I have spent the last eight years facilitating an open-ended monthly support group for bereaved parents. The Bushes' experience is not unique. The expectations that communities (and often faith communities) have of bereaved parents and the time it takes to recover often miss the mark.

Bereaved parents never recover or heal in the sense of restoration to a previous state of health. They are transformed, some for health (as in the Bushes' case) and some for a long and painful life. I appreciate the strength of Bush's reflection that "we still do believe in the reality of God and his kingdom."

Joanna Bailey

Spectrum Health & Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, Grand Rapids, Mich.

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