Grieve at your
own pace, your
way.

When our son died, I was devastated, I was at the lowest point in my life. To suffer such a deep loss tore at my very soul, my very being. I was lost, I no longer thought of myself as a mom, I had failed our son. Danny Couch was my pastor and my friend, he had suffered a great loss in his life, and he helped me to move forward a step at a time, sometimes it was ½ a step. He helped me to see that it was okay to live again, the pain and loss would still be there, I would still miss my son, but I could move forward in life. I could lean on others to help me through my pain, 16 years later there are moments when life stands still, and my heart still breaks for my son, but those moments don’t last as long as they used to. I am surrounded by friends I have leaned on through the years that understand living with grief is a journey. I still feel my son’s presence when I speak his name and see his pictures and the friends that touched his life. I am forever thankful that Danny has walked this journey with me.

— Beth Potter

For many years, I watched Danny be with people who were in deep pain and grief. A time that I will always remember, was when a friend of mine’s young child died, suddenly. Danny was with us in the hospital room when this child was dying, along with the child’s parents and a few friends. What I remember most was that Danny didn’t try to talk to us. He didn’t give advice. He was just “being” with us. He let us cry. He held us. Amidst our great pain, he was comforting. It’s so important to be quiet, sometimes, and just “be” with a person in grief. Danny role modeled a very special kind of support to me, that day, and I try to offer that kind of support to others…when they are in deep pain.

— Zenovia Kidd