Tragic Loss Has Family Reeling
DEAR AMY: My daughter lost her baby to an illness a few months ago. He was an overall healthy child, and his illness and death has been a devastating shock. The entire family was devastated.
A month or so after this grandchild’s death, my son, who also has children, started hosting large parties at his home for family and friends. I told him I did not think this was appropriate because of the short amount of time that had passed since this loss in our family. He said he was doing it because his children wanted to have their school friends and others over to their house.
I am disappointed in my son. Am I wrong to feel this way? DEAR STILL GRIEVING: It is completely understandable that you and your daughter would want to try to (as in the famous Auden poem), “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone ...”
Of course, you and your daughter don’t want to attend a party! Being around other children might be especially painful. But please understand that you don’t get to force, nor should you expect, others to stop the clock.
You son has children. These kids should be permitted — and even encouraged — to run, jump, play, and dive into their friendships. They should also be encouraged to experience and express their abundant love for you and for their auntie. I hope that — when you are ready — you will let them fully in.
DEAR AMY: I’m a 15-year-old girl. Over the summer, I go to an all-girls sleep away camp. Technology is not allowed there, and therefore we don’t get much connection to the outside world other than letters from friends and family.
This summer, my parents have mailed me your column on the daily for me to read and enjoy. My bunk mates and I would pass them from bunk to bunk for everyone to read. This often led to lively dialogue and debating our opinions on your answers or the subject. Thanks for keeping the conversations alive! DEAR B: This is one of the sweetest and most evocative “thank you” letters I’ve ever received. I’m genuinely touched.
(9 p.m., 10 p.m., E!): After sustaining a career-threatening injury, Paige returns to this unscripted series as it opens Season 8 with a roller coaster of situations that test several life-long friendships. As she weighs her future options, the other girls get ready for Wrestlemania Week in New Orleans. Nia Jax continues to impress in the ring, and she turns to a veteran superstar to pick up some new moves. In their down time, Paige takes her friends on a tour of the Big Easy.