School's starting!

So, this being a Loss Parent thing keeps coming up with wonderful new, unexpected ways to suck. I'm constantly surprised by things that I didn't anticipate being as difficult as they are.  The most recent example?  School time.  There have been a lot of times I have known would be difficult for us.  Mother's Day, Father's Day, our birthdays, Christmas.  But I wouldn't have thought of the beginning of September.  I've generally been ok with kids who are older than Ana would be, so school age kids should be ok.  Right?
     What I didn't count on were the parents.  A couple months ago it seemed like all of my Facebook friends were having babies.  Now it seems like everyone has children going to school.  They're all posting about how sad they are that their babies are going to school, and I just have to sit there and remember that I'll never get to have that.  Well, I will, we'll have a lot more children and they'll go to school, and I'll be sad and proud to watch them get on that big yellow bus.  But there will always be one missing.
     It can be really hard to read about some people breaking down over their kids going to school.  One person was so bad I had to say something.  Without getting into too much detail, this person was posting about how awful it was that her daughter was moving to another town to transfer to a better school.  She went on and on about how she hasn't ever been away from her daughter, and she can't sleep from worrying about it.  And then she said it.  She's grieving.  She's grieving for her daughter who's moving a few hours away, in the same state, within phone, Skype and driving access, for ten months.  I couldn't handle it.  I don't usually, but I made a comment.
   I pointed out that her daughter was alive, and she could see her whenever she wanted.  This was not something to grieve over, especially since I could not do any of these things with my baby, even though I wanted to more than anything.  This is why I wanted to start this blog, to talk about these things and hopefully give those who aren't going through this some insight into what you can do to be sensitive to those in your life who have lost children.  Today's lesson is to remember that as bad as things get with your children, you still have your children.  I'm not trying to say that you don't have a right to complain about your kids, or miss them when they go away.  But, before you use words like "grieve," please remember that that word has a real meaning for some who may see your use of it as comparing your situation to theirs.  (For the record, unless you have had a child die, your situation does not compare to ours, in the slightest.)  This will probably become a well worn phrase as this blog goes on, but never take your children or any of their milestones for granted.  There are many people who would give everything they have to be able to see their own children again.  I hope all you parents have smooth school transitions, be they kindergarten/first grade, high school or college, and I hope your kids have a great school year.