It Wasn't My Goldfish That Died-Learning to Live With the Death of My Son

                                                                 Introduction

     I am not a psychologist, nor am I a psychiatrist. I am not a member of the clergy, nor am I a professionally trained grief counselor. I am a father who lost his son. In the aftermath of my son's untimely death in an automobile accident some 11 years ago, I found there to be a shortage of information dealing specifically with what I was going through-grieving the loss of my son. Over these many years, I have experienced so much, some of which I have come to learn is common to all people and all forms of grief, and some of which is limited to the grief we bear as fathers, particularly fathers who have lost a son. My journey of discovery has not been a smooth one. It has been fraught with dangers both real and imagined. It has led me to some amazing heights and often into valleys of incredible despair and hopelessness. What is encouraging, and at the same time frightening, is the realization that my lifelong journey through grief has only begun. It is that trip which I share with you.