Inspiring Hope, One Day at a Time
As a pediatrician, married mom of three biological children and one foster son, my life was busy, rushing off to my office four days a week, seeing patients for three and working as a medical director of a local physician organization for one. I balanced this with rushing off to shuttle my kids to after sports and other after school activities. All of this changed one day in August of 2018 when my 14 year old son, Andy, was killed in a car accident. I felt like my life was over, and in some ways it was over, and a new life was forced to begin in its place.
Grief is seldom discussed openly in our culture, and the death of a child makes people feel even more uncomfortable. On this blog and podcast, ‘Losing a Child: Always Andy’s Mom’, the topic is approached openly and honestly, speaking to people who have lost loved ones and experts who help care for them. Whether you are a parent experiencing loss or someone who wants to support another going through this tragedy, this blog and podcast strives to offer hope and help.
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
A Love for Music
My son, Andy, was extremely musically talented. Music really spoke to him. Once when he was 5 years old, we took him to a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert. I looked to him at one point of the concert and he had tears freely flowing down his face. I quickly asked him what was wrong. His reply, ‘The music, it’s just so sad.’
He played the piano for many years and played his French Horn, that he named Frenchie, for three. His greatest instrument though, was his own voice. He was a head chorister for the Grand Rapids Choir of Men and Boys and sang with the choir for five years. This video is a clip of one of his final solos, fitting as he sings about ‘fitting ourselves for heaven.
Recent Blog
Four Years Ago
Four years ago this weekend, I was so content. I had my amazing, beautiful three children up with Eric and me for the full week celebrating Elk Rapids Harbor Days as we had done since buying our cottage up north in 2014. We piled into the in the boat in our pajamas...
Where is God in My Grief?
A few weeks ago, I was thinking about topics to discuss on the podcast with Gwen and I realized that we had never done an episode focused purely on faith. Faith in grief is a struggle for many, but for others, it is the only reason they feel they can survive. For me,...
Introducing… Podcast Wrap-up Q&A
Have you ever wanted to ask a question to a guest of the Always Andy's Mom Podcast? Here is your chance! This Tuesday at 2pm Eastern Time, tune in to Always Andy's Mom on Facebook Live, YouTube, or Twitter. We are excited to announce that we are trying something new...
Recent Podcast
Episode 279: Holiday Recap
Congratulations! You did it! You made it through Christmas and New Year's! I highly doubt any bereaved person has ever had these words said to them, but today, I say them to all of you. It is tough to be a grieving person during the holidays. It is difficult to see...
Episode 278: Ephrem’s Mom
I would consider today's guest, Kate, a born caregiver. I could sense her caring spirit immediately. Before losing her 12-year-old son, Ephrem, Kate worked as a birth doula and was in training to be a midwife. She loved supporting new young parents as they welcomed...
Episode 277: Lorenzo’s Mom
When Suzanne's son, Lorenzo, was a little boy, he told his family that when he grew up, he would be a police officer. He even drew a picture of himself as a policeman. After finishing high school, he instead studied computers and looked to follow in his dad's...
Email me at marcy@andysmom.com to be on the show, if you'd like me to speak at an event or if you just want to share your story. I love to hear stories of beloved children everywhere.
