personal

8 years +

No name, August 2010
My dad died 13 years ago; I was 7 years old. Now I'm 20 years old and I can't believe it's been such a long time already. It's been rough, and you feel like you've gotten over it; but deep down I still miss him to death. Still brings tears to my eyes. And when I was 11 my closest uncle died, who was like a dad to me, in a tragic accident; so it's just been me and my mom pretty much since then. But death is just a part of life I guess, you just can't give up on yourself... gotta stay strong

Bethany, August 2010
My mum died when i was 14 months. Im 15 years old now. She died of breast cancer and lasted a year after she was diagnosed. I miss her even though i didnt know her. It hurts when my family say i look just like her. Im so jelous that they knew her and i didnt. I miss her. See also: Bethany's poem

Amy, July 2010
I was almost 6 when my mum died, and now at the age of 17 I have been struggling with the repercussions for a while. 10 years on and it's affecting me now as I never truely grieved at such a young age. With a history of mental illness and depression in my family, my mum died of an intentional house fire. I managed to block out all the painful details of my childhood, and only now they haunt me. Coming to the realisation that I wasn't happy myself, I found grieving later on in life hard. Therefore admitting I needed some help was the best thing I could have done, it's important not to suffer in silence.

Alicia, June 2010
It was the year 1999 and I was at my Nan's my grandad had just got out of the hospital and suddenly he colapsed I was only a baby so I didn't know what was going on.
He fell right on top of me and I started crying, my older cousin took me and my cousin into the kitchen.
About 1 hour later we were in the hospital by my grandads bed, me and my cousin were allowed in because there was no one to look after us on such late notice. That night he died and me and my cousin watched him it was a frighting experience and I would never have another one like it.

No name, March 2010
I was 6 when my mum died. Today I am 25 and it's the first time am missing her that much. She had breast cancer and I saw her go through various operations and I watched the cancer eat her away. I was very close to my mother and I always remember the stories she used to tell me and the advices she tried to give me and which I wouldn't listen to. I wished she was with me today more than ever before...

David, January 2010
Hi. My mum died of cancer on the 5th of June 1992 at the age of 31. I was only 8 and although she had been sick for a little while I like most young kids was a bit oblivious to it all so when she died it was unexpected. I remember being told she had died and naturally I was upset and the weeks and months to follow are now a bit sketchy but they would have been tough to say the least but I look back now and realise as a child life moves very quick and all your energy goes into finding out who you are, where you belong and what your future's gonna be so i've always kinda push my feelings to side.Kinda are case of sink or swim. Now 17&1/2 years later I'm 25 and the last few years I've started thinking about me and how i feel on the inside and how its shaped my life. Looking back now my priority's weren't quite right and not having the skills and the knowledge on how to deal with emotions and related issues have made my last few years of working out who I am very hard and upsetting. One would think that after nearly 18 years i'd be alright with it but just simple things like opening the kitchen cupboard and seeing her old cake mixer or a recipe book she use to use (my mum loved baking,i can just remember that wonderful smell that would fill the house) would make me choke up with tears. Alas thats life for ya, you gotta take the good with the bad.

Rhys, January 2010
Hi My name is Rhys My grandad died when i was only 7 back in 2000 i took his detah hard and never forget him but as long as you have your family around you it will all be okayy in the not okayy but it will help get your life b ack on tack and dont forget it is okay to cry

Archive of your messages up to the end of 2009