josiah+co. Blog — Parenting after loss

When we think of grief, we often think of the immediate, tangible losses: a loved one, a relationship, or a dream. But what about the grief that hides in the shadows? The parts of our lives that quietly unravel in the aftermath of loss?

These are the silent griefs. The ones no one talks about.

Grief is a deeply personal and often isolating experience. It comes in many forms, each with its unique weight and complexity. Whether you are mourning the child you never got to meet, the partner you thought you’d grow old with, or the faith that once gave you a sense of certainty, grief leaves its mark. It changes you—but it doesn’t have to define you forever. Perhaps your grief is tied to the version of yourself you thought you’d be by now—the one who imagined a life filled with joy, stability, and dreams realized. Or maybe your loss is less tangible...

This New Years felt different for me. There was no rushing to craft resolutions or setting lofty goals. Instead, it felt like a significant moment—a deep ‘settling in.’ Settling into myself, my journey, and all the ways my life has shifted in the past few years. A Journey of Transformation The past five years have brought immense change, profound loss, and bittersweet growth. As a single co-parent to three earth-side kiddos, I’ve navigated life’s complexities with as much grace as I could muster. There’s been recurrent miscarriage, the shift from a partnered life to a solo one, and the unraveling...

Our family is no stranger to grief. In the past 5 years we’ve experienced 7 miscarriages (most within the second trimester), the death of my grandmother, and the sudden death of my husband’s father. My son still cries out for his Papa and will often make comments about wanting to die so he can see him.

I need you to know, my 6 year old son is not suicidal. He is processing his grief. We have chosen not to shield our children from the reality of death, but rather normalize talk around death and dying.

I sat my kids down today and we spoke about George Floyd and Regis Korchinski-Paquet. We talked about how there are good people and bad people in the world, and sometimes bad people will do harmful things to people with skin the colour of theirs.⠀ We talked about how there are good police officers (some being personal friends) and how there are bad police officers who abuse their power.⠀ We talked about why we won’t let them play with toy guns, even brightly coloured nerf ones, because simply put... they don’t have the same privilege as white kids.⠀ We mentioned...