Grieve Out Loud

Looking for a way to give back to the babyloss community? Our Voices of Loss Pen-Pal Program is now accepting new volunteers. Help bring a voice to losses such as SIDS, IC, Fullterm Loss, Miscarriage, Termination due to Medical Reasons, and more.

SERIOUS PARTICIPANTS ONLY! If interested e-mail us at vol@facesofloss.com with the subject “Joining the Team.” Please include your name, e-mail, and a brief description of your loss(es). Looking forward to working with you!

A friend posted this quote the other day and it really made me think. Grief IS so heavy and hard to carry around. Of course we will never “let go” of our baby’s, but we can let go of some of the guilt, pain and loneliness. Never forget we are in this together. We can learn to let go together.

Full quote: “You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy. So let them go, let go of them. I tie no weights to my ankles.” by C. Joybell C.

2013.
Year three.
What do you have in store for us?
For all of us?

Every year we talk about the natural evolution of Grieve Out Loud, and of our grief.
Welcomed or not, time distances us from our grief, but never from our hearts.
My grief is not as sharp.
It does not force itself up through my fingertips like it once did.
But I know yours does.

That said, GOL is working to publish the new voices of loss.
Your voice.
We want you to know we are not going anywhere.
In our silence, we are working on a better tomorrow for the folks who find us.
If you are interested in pitching new ideas for GOL please contact Julie.

Make sure to friend us on Facebook. Our private group has over 2500 members who discuss many topics facing the babyloss community.

Don’t forget about our Pen-Pal Program.
Last year we helped so many families find their way back to life after loss and want to continue with you.
Our extensive volunteer team covers an incredibly vast range of losses. Talk to someone who has walked a mile in your exact shoes. We are here to listen and offer any help we can.

As always, if you need anything, just contact us.

Happy New Year’s to you all. Thank you for supporting Grieve Out Loud!

Cheers,
Julie – GOL Founder

As 2013 quickly approached we want to pass a few changes onto you our viewers.

- As a team, we have decided not to renew the milestone exchange into the new year. We apologize for those who have been waiting. We highly encourage you to come together as a community and host your own milestone exchanges. For the exchanges that went smoothly, we heard nothing but good things. Unfortunately every month we experienced hiccups and it was never our intention for families not to receive gifts. Therefore, we will no longer be hosting exchanges. Thanks to all who participated in the past.

- We plan to put all our focus into our Pen-Pal Program. We will be working to spread the word of its existence to help reach families who are suffering in silence. We will be accepting new volunteers twice a year, so look for our first open call of 2013.

- More interaction and writing challenges on our Facebook Group.

As always, we are open to your suggestions. If there is something you would like to see new and improved please contact us at grieveoutloud@gmail.com

If you have a milestone (birthday, due date, miscarriage, etc) that falls inside the month of December, you should consider signing up! Here is how the Monthly Milestone Exchange works:

–  If you are interested in participating you must fill out this form. PLEASE only sign up if your milestone falls inside the month of DECEMBER (we will be posting new forms for each month). Please utilize the “Special Instructions/Free Space” area for information regarding your specific milestone.

– Serious participants only! This is a get a gift, give a gift exchange.

– Cut off date for this exchange: November 25th.

– You will be randomly partnered and contacted by the e-mail address you supply. You have 72 hours to reply to our e-mail. If we don’t hear from you, you will automatically be removed from the exchange.

– You are responsible for getting in touch with your partner and mailing their gift. Please contact your partner if there will be a delay in shipping. It is better to say something, then nothing at all. Have your package postmarked 5-7 days BEFORE the milestone.

– We highly encourage this to be a handmade card/gift exchange. The more personalized the gift, the better. Create a keepsake for life. Please keep gifts/supplies between $10-20.

– Have fun and be creative! This shouldn’t be a stressful project. If the thought of creating something is stressful please don’t sign up.

Any questions, feel free to contact us at grieveoutloud@gmail.com

In honor of pregnancy and infant loss awareness month, in conjunction with our three-year anniversary, we are launching the “Grieve Out Loud Grief Relief.” Read about Grief Relief here.

Our last submission is about advice.

What advice do you have for families who have recently suffered a loss?
What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
What would you like to tell families?
Share your story.

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E-Mail Submission Guidelines are as follow:

1) All submissions are to be sent to grieveoutloud@gmail.com with the subject “Advice.”

2) Copy and paste your original piece into the body of the e-mail. No attachments please.

3) Please include a one paragraph bio including your name, your baby’s name, type of loss, and blog URL if applicable.

4) All submissions are subject to editorial review and may be edited for clarity. We may only utilize a small portion of your work.

5) Submissions due by 11/15/12

In honor of pregnancy and infant loss awareness month, in conjunction with our three-year anniversary, we are launching the “Grieve Out Loud Grief Relief.” Read about Grief Relief here.

Today’s submission is about multiple losses. Here are some things you could consider including in your piece.

What kind of losses did you experience? (1st tri, 2nd tri, stillbirth?)
Time between pregnancies/losses?
Any medical explanation of losses?
What keeps you motivated to keep trying?
Are you afraid to try again?
What eventually brought you a live baby?
What advice do you have for RPL (repeat pregnancy loss) families?

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E-Mail Submission Guidelines are as follow:

1) All submissions are to be sent to grieveoutloud@gmail.com with the subject “Multiple Losses.”

2) Copy and paste your original piece into the body of the e-mail. No attachments please.

3) Please include a one paragraph bio including your name, your baby’s name, type of loss, and blog URL if applicable.

4) All submissions are subject to editorial review and may be edited for clarity. We may only utilize a small portion of your work.

5) Submissions due by 11/01/12

In honor of pregnancy and infant loss awareness month, in conjunction with our three-year anniversary, we are launching the “Grieve Out Loud Grief Relief.” Read about Grief Relief here.

Today’s submission is about divorce and/or separation after loss. Here are some things you could include in your piece.

How long were you married/together before your loss?
When did you first feel the separation?
Were you able to talk about your loss with your partner?
How did the divorce talk come about?
Where did you go after the split?
What advice do you have for families being faced with divorce?
Do you feel more alone without your partner?

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E-Mail Submission Guidelines are as follow:

1) All submissions are to be sent to grieveoutloud@gmail.com with the subject “Divorce.”

2) Copy and paste your original piece into the body of the e-mail. No attachments please.

3) Please include a one paragraph bio including your name, your baby’s name, type of loss, and blog URL if applicable.

4) All submissions are subject to editorial review and may be edited for clarity. We may only utilize a small portion of your work.

5) Submissions due by 11/01/12

In honor of pregnancy and infant loss awareness month, in conjunction with our three-year anniversary, we are launching the “Grieve Out Loud Grief Relief.” Read about Grief Relief here.

Today we are asking for a personal submission. When was your first post-delivery period? Did it come naturally, or was it brought on medically (ie: Provera?) Furthermore, how did it make you feel both physically and mentally?

:::::

E-Mail Submission Guidelines are as follow:

1) All submissions are to be sent to grieveoutloud@gmail.com with the subject “Period.”

2) Copy and paste your original piece into the body of the e-mail. No attachments please.

3) Please include a one paragraph bio including your name, your baby’s name, type of loss, and blog URL if applicable.

4) All submissions are subject to editorial review and may be edited for clarity. We may only utilize a small portion of your work.

5) Submissions due by 11/01/12

If you have a milestone (birthday, due date, miscarriage, etc) that falls inside the month of November, you should consider signing up! Here is how the Monthly Milestone Exchange works:

–  If you are interested in participating you must fill out this form. PLEASE only sign up if your milestone falls inside the month of NOVEMBER (we will be posting new forms for each month). Please utilize the “Special Instructions/Free Space” area for information regarding your specific milestone.

– Serious participants only! This is a get a gift, give a gift exchange.

– Cut off date for this exchange: October 22nd.

– You will be randomly partnered and contacted by the e-mail address you supply. You have 72 hours to reply to our e-mail. If we don’t hear from you, you will automatically be removed from the exchange.

– You are responsible for getting in touch with your partner and mailing their gift. Please contact your partner if there will be a delay in shipping. It is better to say something, then nothing at all. Have your package postmarked 5-7 days BEFORE the milestone.

– We highly encourage this to be a handmade card/gift exchange. The more personalized the gift, the better. Create a keepsake for life. Please keep gifts/supplies between $10-20.

– Have fun and be creative! This shouldn’t be a stressful project. If the thought of creating something is stressful please don’t sign up.

Any questions, feel free to contact us at grieveoutloud@gmail.com