At the kitchen table: the future of glow

At the kitchen table: the future of glow

For our last kitchen table discussion in this series, we want to talk about the future. It is probably the most important discussion of the lot.  One which will help us stoke the embers in our fire, in just the right way, for the benefit of Glow's readers, new and seasoned.  One which will help inform how we preserve the best of what Glow represents, while gently evolving our look, feel, content and the ways in which we are found by weary wanderers in the woods.

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You and us, at the kitchen table

You and us, at the kitchen table

I have a writer-friend whose advice to other writers is always, "Do something else if you can. If you can't do anything else, write." So we write. Here we are, writing in public (if sometimes anonymously), hanging out all our laundry—dirty or clean, worn out or new. This week, we wanted to share with you about our experiences being regular contributors at Glow, and talk with you about the intersections of the public and the private—where we meet you, readers.

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At the kitchen table: readers, pull up a chair...

At the kitchen table: readers, pull up a chair...

Over the next few weeks leading up to Glow’s 8th anniversary, we will be hosting a series of conversations here at the kitchen table. Each week we will reflect on a different aspect of this community: How did we get here? What else is out there that gives us support? What is it about Glow that fills a particular need in our lives? What is it like to write for Glow? What do we hope for Glow's future, and what do readers hope for?

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At the kitchen table: on hope

At the kitchen table: on hope

In bereaved parent circles around the world, "finding hope again" seems to be a rallying force, a beacon of light in the darkness, an all but necessity to learning to live on after unthinkable tragedy. Memorial fundraisers and charity walks are built around the concept of hope. One of every two bereaved parent support groups seems to include the word "hope" in the name. For many, hope repels; others latch on intuitively. For this Kitchen Table discussion, we explore how each of us feels about hope in the context of loss(es).

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at the kitchen table: speaking of faith

1. Before your loss, how would you describe your faith? How would you describe it now?

2. What do you believe about an afterlife? Where do you think your baby(ies) is/are now?

3. Have you had any experiences of visitation--spiritual, bodily, paranormal--from your baby(ies)? If you haven't, would you want to?

4. Glow in the Woods has always been a haven from talk of "angel babies." Why has this been important to you? How do you react to the term "angel baby"?

5. Are your family's beliefs different from yours? Has it caused any tension within your family relating to the death of your baby(ies)?

6.What do you say, if anything, to people--well-meaning or otherwise--when they say those cliche religious phrases like "God needed another flower in His garden" or "Your baby is with God now"?

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