Helpful ..Do's and don'ts after the loss of a child

DO'S

Do let your genuine concern and care show.

Do be available: to listen, to help with other children, or whatever else seems needed at the time.

Do say you are sorry about what happened to their child and about the pain they are experiencing.

Do allow them to express as much grief as they are feeling at the moment and are willing to share.

Do encourage them to be patient with themselves,not to expect too much of themselves, and not to impose any "SHOULDS" on themselves.

Do allow them to talk Do give special attention to the child's brothers and sisters, at the funeral and in the months to come. They too are hurt and confused and in need of attention which their parents may not be able to give them at the time.

Do reassure them that the medical care their child received was the best possible, and/or be positive about anything else you know to be true and positive about the care given their now-deceased child.

DONT'S

Don't let your own sense of helplessness keep you from reaching out to a bereaved parent.

Don't avoid them because you are uncomfortable.Being avoided by friends adds pain to an already intolerable and painful experience.

Don't say you know how they feel unless you've lost a child yourself. You probably don't know how they feel.

Don't say "You ought to be feeling better by now," or anything else that implies a judgment about their feelings.

Don't change the subject when they mention their dead child.

Don't avoid mentioning the child's name for fear of reminding them of their pain. They haven't forgotten it for a moment.

Don't try to find something positive about the child's death.

Don't point out that at least they have another child or children. Children are not interchangeable! They cannot replace each other.

Don't say that they can have another child. Even if they could, or wanted to, another child would not replace the child they have lost.

Don't make any comments which in any way suggest that the care in the home or in the emergency room, hospital, or wherever, was inadequate.Parents are plagued by feelings of doubt and guilt without any help from their family or friends.

Dawn M. Sansone Living Memorial

This memorial website was created in the memory of our loved one, Dawn Sansone who was born in Illinois on January 02, 1978 and passed away on November 06, 2001 at the age of 23. We will remember her forever.
Those of you who knew Dawn, Knew she was full of life, A sweet and feisty little firecracker who's smile could warm an eskimo. She was taken away from us without warning and has left large holes in the hearts of all who had the chance to see the smile that came from her always. Life will never again be complete without her being a physical part, Her heart will beat among us who loved her forever and ever

Please visit her site and leave your thoughts and wishes....Thank you
http://dawnsansone.memory-of.com/

You Know Your From Chicago If......

1. The "living room" was called the "front room."
2. You don't pronounce the "s" at the end of Illinois. You become irate at people who do.
3. You measure distance in minutes (especially "from the city"). And you swear everything is pretty much 1/2 hour away.
4. You have no problem spelling or pronouncing "Des Plaines."
5. You go to visit friends or family down south and laugh when they complain about the traffic.
6. You understand that no person from Chicago can be a Cub fan AND a White Sox fan.
7. It's "kitty corner" not "katty corner".
8. You know the difference between"The Loop"and "Downtown."
9. You eat your pizza in squares, not triangles, and you never refer to it as "pie"
10. You own celery salt.
11. You understand that the primary is the official local election.
12. You know what a garache-key is!
13. Stores don't have sacks, they have bags.
14. You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example: "Where's my coat at?" or "Can I go with?"
15. Your idea of a great tenderloin is when the meat is twice as big as the bun, "everything" is on it and a slice of dill pickle is on the side.
16. You carry jumper cables in your car.
17. You drink "pop."
18. You understand that I-290, I-90, I-94, and I-294 are all different roads.
19. You know the names of the interstates: Stevenson, Kennedy, Eisenhower, Dan Ryan, and the Eden's.
20. But you call the interstates "expressways."
21. You refer to anything South of I-80 as "Southern or Central Illinois."
22. You refer to Lake Michigan as "The Lake."
23. You refer to Chicago as "The City."
24. "The Super Bowl" refers to one specific game in January, 1986.
25. You have two favorite football teams: The Bears, and anyone who beats the Packers.
26. You buy "The Trib" and not the Tribune.
27. You know that despite being on the lake, there is no such place as the Waterfront.
28. You think 45 degrees is great weather to wash your car.
29. You picnic or ride your bike in the "fore st preserve."
30. You cried when Bozo was canceled on WGN.
31. You know what goes on a Chicago-style hot dog.
32. You know what Chicago Style Pizza REALLY is.
33. You know why they call Chicago "The Windy City."
34. You understand what "lake-effect" means.
35. You know the difference between Amtrak and Metra, and know at which station they end up.
37. You have ridden the "L."
38. You think your next-door neighbor is a cousin to Tony Soprano.
39. You can distinguish between the following area codes: 847, 630, 773, 708, 312, & 815.
40. You have at some time in your life used your furniture or a friend's body to guard your parking spot in winter.
41. You respond to the question "Where are you from?" with a "side." Example: "West Side," "South Side" or "North Side."
42. You know the phone number for Empire Carpet!

Into Old Rock and Roll ??/

If you are an avid lover of music as I am, You need to check out this great site about the great Rock and Roll Artists of the 60's, 70's and 80's.It has biographies of some of the all time greats we all rocked with through the ages, And yes still rockin,This site is rockandrollmania.com.It will be a refreshing blast from the past............