Losing a Child: The Grief of Parental Alienation

My daughter’s father and I split when she was about 18 months old. She’d always been a mama’s girl; for the first year she would only sleep on my chest. For a decade afterward, she could hardly be near me without holding my hand or sitting on my lap. We had an elaborate pre-bedtime routine where I made a “bird’s nest” with my legs, and she’d cuddle me until she felt secure enough to go to bed. We packed each other notes in our lunches every day. Because I had primary custody, she spent almost all of her time with me, and I reveled in motherhood. Those were the most joyful…