7.) It’s like being a widow—a “club” you never wanted to join. Where do I return this unwanted membership, please?
8.) Other club members are really the only people who can truly understand what it does to a person. They just get it. There is no other way to explain it.
9.) Life does go on, but there will be times, even years later, you will still break down like it happened yesterday.
10.) When you see your friends or even strangers with their mom or dad, you will sometimes be jealous. Envious of the lunch date they have. Downright pissed that your mom can’t plan your baby shower. Big life events are never ever the same again.
Here I sit eight and 10 years later after the death of a parent and there are still times that I reach for the phone when something exciting happens. Then it hits me; shit, I can’t call them.
Their deaths have forever changed me and how I look at the world. In an odd way, it has made me a better parent. I am always acutely aware of what memories can mean to my son and how I will impact his life while I am on this earth. He deserves to know how much he is loved, and when I am gone, what I teach and instill in him now will be my legacy.
About the Author: Lisa Schmidt is a Dating and Relationship coach in Detroit and the author of her own blog. She streams regularly on Periscope and is a contributor for several online publications. See more from Lisa at http://www.thelisaschmidt.com.
![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://faithit.com/10-things-changed-me-death-parent/&media=https://faithit.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/death-parent-8b38574.jpg&description="Their deaths have forever changed me and how I look at the world. In an odd way, it has made me a better parent." Here are the 10 things that really changed me after dealing with the death of a parent.){kind=link}