There is one thing that all bereaved parents agree on and that is that the level of pain we experience, especially in the early days and months, but also scattered liberally about the coming years and strewn about the rest of our lives, is utterly unimaginable.

Being vulnerable is being at risk of harm from something outside ourselves, something that cannot be predicted or controlled. When we communicate with another person, whether that is as a casual acquaintance or a life partner we make ourselves vulnerable when we share something about ourselves with the other person and that is a risk.

So here's something that bothers me. My father's grandson died sixteen years ago and I don't know if he feels anything at all about that - I have never heard him express anything about how he feels about my son or about what he remembers about him.

The activities we participate in whether talking, creating, planning or learning will all be inspired by our shared purpose and each will focus on making progress with one or more of the six aims. So the gatherings where these activities take place within the community whether in chat areas, posting forums, Zoom meetings or (later) in person meetings will all be about community in action learning to live better with the profound and traumatic loss of a precious son or daughter through our connection with each other.