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 "In an ideal world, this website would not exist
In an ideal world, children outlive their parents"
Anam Cara Parent Bereavement Support
Anam Cara Parent Bereavement Support was formed to address the needs of bereaved parents and families. The loss of your child is like no other and bereaved parents often find them selves isolated and lonely in their grief. Who can really understand how you are feeling? Only someone else who is walking the same road as yourself.
Anam Cara will not take the pain away but we hope it will make it easier to bear. We offer information, support and events during the year to let you know you are not alone in your darkest hours.
The Aim of Anam Cara
"To offer opportunities to support and be supported by parents who have experienced the loss of a child."
Who will benefit from Anam Cara?
Any parent who has lost a child, no matter what age that child is (including an adult child) and regardless of how recent the loss is. If you want to remember that child and feel comfortable talking about them Anam Cara will provide the forum. If you just want to know that you are not alone, Anam Cara will give you access to other bereaved parents, resources, Self Help ideas.
What do the words Anam Cara mean?
In Celtic tradition there is a beautiful tradition of love and understanding, the old Gaelic term for this anam Cara. Anam is the Gaelic word for Soul and Cara is the word for friend. So anam Cara in the Celtic world was the Soul Friend.
The Anam Cara
"With the anam Cara you could share your innermost self, your mind and your heart. This friendship was an act of recognition and belonging. When you had an anam Cara, your friendship cut across all convention. In everyone's life there is a great need for an anam Cara, the superficial and functional lies and half truths of acquaintance fall away, with them you can be as you really are.
Anam Cara's understand where you are coming from and understanding is precious, where you are understood you are at home. Understanding nourishes belonging".
Extract Anam Cara Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World by John O'Donoghue
As Bereaved Parents we are the healing wounded and paramount to all at Anam Cara is that it will be a safe place for us {See our terms of reference}.
We have also drafted core values to help everyone in the group to remember when they are communicating with each other.
Our Core Values are:
- To respect each other's grief - no one's grief is greater then another's, no one's loss less than another's
- No judgement - Don't judge others by their actions or words
- To listen and be listened to - All of us in this group need support, be there for each other
- No recommendations or "shoulds" - Everyone copes/survives in different ways
- To journey on - While still remembering and talking about our wonderful children and what they mean to us
- Show consideration for each other's beliefs - Both religious and spiritual
- Inclusitivity - no matter how old your son or daughter was, how they died, or how long ago their death occurred.
- Confidentiality - All conversations or communications are private and confidential
"Who then can so softly bind up the wound of another as he who has felt the same wound himself"
Thomas Jefferson
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