North Shore-Boston Chapter
The Compassionate Friends
North Shore - Boston Chapter
Grief Support after the Death of a Child
This website is dedicated to the memory of all of our children.
The Mission of The Compassionate Friends is to assist families toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of a child of any age and to provide information to help others be supportive.
We are a national nonprofit, self-help organization that offers friendship, understanding and hope to bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings. Our meetings are open to all family members who are grieving the death of a child. There is no religious affiliation and no dues or fees.
WE NEED NOT WALK ALONE
WE ARE THE COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS
MESSAGE on COVID-19
Since April 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our chapter has been holding online video meetings in lieu of our bi-monthly in-person chapter meetings. In October, we held one in-person meeting and one online video meeting. We are exploring options to continue holding one in-person meeting per month. However, because our online video meetings have been more "user friendly" during this pandemic, we will resume our bi-monthly online video meetings in November and will continue with those until the COVID restrictions change.
The next online video meetings will be held at 7:30 PM on Monday, November 2nd and Wednesday, November 18th. An email invitation will be sent to members prior to each meeting. You may also request an invitation by emailing tcfnoshoreconnect@gmail.com to let us know that you would like to participate.
In addition to our online chapter meetings, other support options are listed below:
1) TCF Live Chats: The National TCF website offers scheduled Live Chat sessions on different days and with different topics. The details can be found here: National TCF Live Chat Schedule
2) Private Facebook Groups: TCF offers several private Facebook groups facilitated by bereaved parents, grandparents or siblings. They can be accessed here: TCF Private Facebook Groups
3) TCF North Shore-Boston Facebook Page: Our chapter has its own Facebook page that is active with members from our chapter. You can access it here: TCF North Shore-Boston Facebook Page
Website Sponsor Messages
Our website is sponsored this month in loving memory of:
TIMOTHY
We have been wearing a memory bracelet for Tim since his passing. The college made them up and gave them to all the students, and our family got a bag of the bracelets. There are three parts that get little attention. Usually, people notice Tim's name, his birth year and his year of passing. The three parts I wanted to give some attention to is the part before Tim's birth year, the dash between the two years, and the part after the year Tim passed.
The first part on the bracelet before the birth year is blank, but it represents the time my wife and I were waiting for nearly 10 years. My wife and I went throught dozens and dozens of medical therapies and treatments to get pregnant. We finally moved to MA for the last two years where we met a doctor Vitto, who made a miracle happen in 1996 when Tim was born. This area on the bracelet is truly dedicated to Tim's mom, who never gave up hope that we would have a beautiful child.
The second part is the dash between the two years. This represents Tim's life, which was filled with life, love and millions of beautiful moments. Tim brought happiness to our family, friends and stangers he met in his nearly 21 years. Even as a baby, he had a smile and a spirit that brought such joy and love to his mother and dad, it wiped away those 10 years of waiting for Tim. We all will eventually have a dash, but for our son, his dash, his life, is more than words can express.
The third part is after the year of his passing, 2017, which is an area many of us know all too well. Our family misses Tim each and every day since we lost him. We are doing our best, but the love for Tim is never ending and that is kinda like the bracelet. It's round, one part goes into the next area. We all share the loss of our children and we all feel our child in our hearts and soul. It's an area of the bracelet which we all share, but the love we hold for our son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, friend, is still with each of us forever more.
Love, Mom, Dad, Katherine
Here is a poem Tim wrote to his mom. It shows how special Tim was to all of us.
Paradise
By Timothy
The view is beautiful.
There isn't a kid in sight and the waves are gently rocking the boat.
The sunset makes the sky turn bright blue.
There is nothing to worry about and nothing you have to do.
You lean over the side of the boat and see the millions of coconut trees among hte sandy beaches.
The breeze makes your hair wave back and forth.
A bird lands on the railing of the boat.
You reach out your hand and touch the bird's light feathers; they feel as soft as a new sofa.
You let it go off into the wide-open ocean.
It flies up into the sky with its flock and writes.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
Meeting Updates
Our next chapter meetings will be held on:
Monday - 11/2/10 - 7:30 PM
Online Video Meeting
(Email invitation to follow)
You may also contact
if you would like to participate
Wednesday - 11/18/20 - 7:30 PM
Online Video Meeting
(Email invitation to follow)
You may also contact
to request an invitation
-and-
Sibling Online Video Meeting
(Email invitation to follow)
You may also contact
to request an invitation
Click here for our 2020 schedule:
In the event of inclement weather, necessitating the closing of North Reading public schools, our chapter meetings will also be canceled.
Website Sponsor Messages
Our website is sponsored this month in loving memory of:
EMILY ANNE DRISCOLL
Thirteen years have passed
in what seems like thirteen seconds.
The time gone by softens at times
the searing pain of your loss,
but it has not diminished the heartache
we feel each day.
We are grateful for the example
you set for us to live on,
nurtured by the grace of your life well lived
and inspired by the
breadth of your imagination,
the force of your courage
and the depth of your love for us
and we in turn for you.
Stay close to us . . . we love you eternally
Jessie and Wayne, David Anthony, Abby,
your Mum and Dad
TOM & CHRISTOPHER POPE
Tom and Christopher,
As we celebrate Thanksgiving
this month, we give thanks
for having you in our lives,
for the life lessons you taught us,
for the love we continue to share,
and for the everlasting memories.
You are forever with us!
Love, Mom, Dad, Dave,
Kelly, Ian & your new nephew, Tom
Meeting Updates
Our next chapter meetings will be held on:
Event Updates
See information below for upcoming TCF events:
CANDLELIGHT REMEMBRANCE SERVICE
12/13/20
Click here for additional information:
Website Sponsor Messages
Our website is sponsored this month in loving memory of:
EMILY ANNE DRISCOLL
Thirteen years have passed
in what seems like thierteen seconds.
The time gone by softens at times
the searing pain of your loss,
but it has not diminished the heartache we feel each day.
We are grateful for the example you set for us to live on,
nurtured by the grace of your life well lived
and inspired by the breadth of your imagination,
the force of your courage and the depth of your love for us
and we in turn for you.
Stay close to us . . . we love you eternally
Jessie and Wayne, David Anthony, Abby,
your Mum and Dad
TOM & CHRISTOPHER POPE
Tom and Christopher,
As we celebrate Thanksgving this month,
we give thanks for having you in our lives,
for the life lessons you taught us,
for the love we continue to share,
and for the everlasting memories.
You are forever with us!
Love, Mom, Dad, Dave,
Kelly, Ian & your new nephew, Tom
Meeting Updates
Our next chapter meetings
will be held on:
Monday, 11/2/20 - 7:30 PM
Online Video Meeting
(Email invitation to follow)
You may also contact
to request and invitation
Wednesday, 11/18/20 - 7:30 PM
Online Video Meeting
(Email invitation to follow)
You may also contact
to request and invitation
-and-
Sibling Online Video Meeting
(Email invitation to follow)
You may also contact
if you would like to participate