Navigating the New Year with Compassion

A Heartfelt Message for the PLICA Community

Hello, and Happy New Year!

As January gets well underway, I want to extend my warmest wishes to each of you. This isn't just the start of another year; it's a fresh canvas waiting for us to paint our dreams and aspirations on it, albeit in a way that we may not have anticipated.

A Different Perspective on the New Year

If the New Year brings more grief and heartache over perinatal loss and involuntary childlessness, then the way we approach the New Year may look different to the traditional way we think of the New Year and of goal planning.

Acknowledging Profound Loss

For those of us dealing with the deep pain of pregnancy or infant loss, the challenges this past year were profound in ways that upend your entire world. Infertility, the loss of a baby during pregnancy, at birth, or in infancy, is a grief like no other. As you know, it can shake you to your core.

Honouring Your Loss

The hopes, dreams and plans you had for your precious child are suddenly gone in an instant, leaving an aching void. Your loss deserves profound compassion and gentle care. Please know that you are not alone in your mourning. While your grief may always be a part of you, little by little, joy and light can gradually return. Honour your baby's brief but beautiful life. Hold onto hope, take things slowly, and be extra gentle with yourself in the process.

Navigating the Challenges of Infertility

For those coping with the ongoing struggles of infertility, the challenges are also unique and deeply painful. Dealing with monthly disappointment as you try to build your family can be draining and devastating. The jealousy, isolation, and shame you may feel are valid and need compassion. But you are so much more than your fertility. You deserve both empathy and support. Reach out to find others who understand, and don't put your life fully on hold.

Embracing All Sides of Yourself

One of the kindest things we can do for ourselves is to nurture all sides of ourselves while being patient with the grieving. You are complete and worthy, just as you are. There is still joy to be found today. Please know you have an open invitation to share your story and find kinship in this community. You are not alone. Your grief and resilience both matter. With compassion and understanding, we can support one another through life's deepest sorrows.

Planning for the Year Ahead

As we look to the year ahead, be especially kind to yourself if you are coping with loss or infertility. Honour your grief, and focus on emotional self-care. Seek support, make space for feelings, and be attuned to what your mind and body need right now. Cherish any small joys and milestones. You may not be where you hoped this year would find you, but there is still beauty to uncover in each new day.

Setting Flexible Intentions

Set flexible intentions that nourish your spirit. Allow your goals to shift and evolve. Listen closely to your heart, move slowly, and celebrate each step forward, no matter how small. Find meaning in community service, creativity, or new experiences. Your worth and purpose are not defined by grief or fertility. Most importantly, know that you are not alone. We are here to walk beside you with empathy and compassion through the darker seasons. Together, we can help make the journey more bearable.

Best Wishes for a Gentle, Hopeful Year Ahead

May this year bring whatever measure of light, love, and renewal your spirit needs. Let's hope 2024 is a year of supportive community, understanding, and finding beauty amid life's complexities. Wishing you moments of peace, resilience, and the inner wisdom to be gentle with yourself. You matter. Your story matters. Here's to a year of small joys, compassionate connections, and new possibilities.

With much love,

Sasha

Founder, PLICA.