A Story of Empathy and Hope Mitch and Maria lost their 19-year-old Andrew to an undiagnosed heart condition. Although it’s been well over ten years ago at the time of this writing, they still miss him terribly; and at the same time are living meaningful lives filled with hope. How have they been able to move beyond the devastating loss of their son to find hope?They draw strength from Andrew’s personality, and their close familial relationships. Mitch and Maria’s three boys are close in age. Andrew, the middle son, was the best friend of Phil, the oldest, and a mentor to Matt, the youngest.Andrew’s humor, boundless energy, and loving nature were a glue that helped bind the family. His ability to make them laugh at themselves when taking life too seriously is dearly missed. He was not the stereotypical middle son, he loved being the center of attention, and his spirit is very strong with the family to this day. Mitch took a cue from Andrew on how to handle his son’s death; “I can’t imagine myself wondering about whether or not I was going to get out of bed because I could sense him kicking my butt! ‘That’s not the way to honor me; you honor me by being engaged, laughing, enjoying life’.” Although young, Andrew lived a rich life full of experiences and his family knew he would want the same for them.Both Maria and Mitch worked through their grief with help from Kara group counseling and the Tim Griffith Foundation. Each attended a Meadowlark Weekend Grief Retreat for Mothers and Fathers, offered by the Foundation.Today, Mitch and Maria are part of a special community anchored by empathy and compassion. The people of Kara and the Tim Griffith Foundation understand the magnitude of what it means for a parent to lose a child. When asked how the Foundation’s Meadowlark Grief Retreats supported them, Maria shared that early in her journey, she wondered how the screaming sound echoing in her head could ever fade away. The retreats allowed her to meet other mothers further along in the grieving process, who are now living productive lives, and Maria held onto that as a sign of hope. Mitch appreciated hearing other Father’s stories and could see himself in those situations. He was also able to offer his own experiences and insights to other fathers, helping him own his healing. Mitch finds the Foundation to be a wellspring of empathy - a quality he sees as much needed in all aspects of our society today.Maria recently co-facilitated a Meadowlark Retreat for Mothers, sharing her empathy and holding a safe place for other mothers to experience their grief. Being in service to others, and helping others is key to Maria’s own grief journey. We are fortunate to have Mitch and Maria’s ongoing support as volunteers for the Foundation.The Tim Griffith Foundation offers mother and father weekend retreats to help parents along in their grief journey. If an attendee cannot afford the cost of the weekend, the Foundation will fund their participation thanks to the donations of people like you.