Nothing in the world can compensate the loss of a child. However, it's mandatory for the parents to accept the reality and cope up with the disaster.
Caroline Flohr, author of "Heaven's Child," who lost her 16-year-old daughter Sarah in an accident is a living example of turning the devastation into spiritual enlightenment.
"I don't think any parent ever gets over the loss of a child," Flohr said. "Through the web of pain, I have been amazed by the power of family, love and faith in healing. I have learned that death defines not the end of the journey, but a beginning."
"Heaven's Child" portraits the heart-breaking story of a mother, who is an engineer by training. Flohr was a busy active mother of five children when Sarah died.
Sarah was the only child killed among a group of 18 teenagers who went for a joyride in a SUV in 2004. It took long five years for her to overcome the grief and to understand that death is a beginning, not an end and death cannot separate and take away a person's loved one.
"When I was pregnant with the twins, my older brother said, 'three hearts beating together.' That's amazing," she wrote in her website. "When in your life will you ever have three hearts beating within you?" The three cherry blossoms linked together are symbolic of that statement; that even though Sarah is dead, she may not live with me, but Sarah still lives within me. Nothing can separate the three of us. Oh, cherry trees in spring are Sarah's favorite."
She suggests few points to help parents to overcome their grief:
Deeper meaning: Try to understand the deeper meanings involved with death. According to Flohr, death is the starting of another "phase of existence."
Celebrate Life: Flohr suggests finding happiness in the wonderful memories of the person, who is absent in reality.
Ready for anything: Experiences help one to become strong. Gain courage from the inner strength, while facing the worst experiences.
Appreciate what you have: Everyone has to face death one day. So find happiness in what you have at present.
For Flohr, the inner meaning is the strength to begin a fresh life. She lives with her husband in Bainbridge Island, a suburb of Seattle.
