The Well Magazine Fall/Winter 2015 | Page 23

Joi died, it all came together. So I screamed, yelled and cursed at God for 45 straight minutes. And they let me. They understood me. These people who I had never met before understood me and responded to me in a way that only someone who had shared the same pain could. I started embracing the pain, piece by piece, and I started to heal, day by day. Butterflies The Bereaved Parents of the USA is open to all parents, grandparents and siblings regardless of the age or the circumstances of the death of their children, grandchildren or siblings. There are chapters around the country that meet monthly. There are no dues or fees to become a member of BP/USA and there are no paid salaries within the organization. All work on both the national and chapter level is done by volunteer bereaved parents with a strong desire to help other families survive the death of their children just as they were helped when their own children died. I have been to the national conference and was the keynote speaker at the 2011 holiday celebration of the Springfield chapter. The group allows people to talk about their child with other people who are