This week we are so honored to feature Robyn and her beautiful daughter Liesl! Robyn is such a light and was someone that sent so much love to us after learning of Royce passing.
•About Robyn and Liesl
I’m Robyn and I have 5 children. My only daughter, Liesl, was born in November 2013. After 3 sweet boys I was a little nervous to have a girl, but that all melted away when she was born. She was beautiful in every way. She was brave, silly, and loving. When Liesl was 15 months she overslept a bit, so my husband Matt went to check on her. She had no pulse and wasn’t breathing. We called 911 and I did CPR. They restarted her heart in the ER and life flighted her to our children’s hospital. Her brain was significantly damaged. After 2 days in a coma she passed away on Valentine’s Day.
•What helped Robyn the most after her loss
It was torture to be separated from Liesl. It still often is. Oh how I want to see my girlie as a 5 year old! It’s a life sentence, but life mercifully and mercilessly keeps going. I threw myself into my 3 living children and just kept moving with grief by my side. We welcomed our sweet 4th boy in 2017. My life is so wonderful and happy in so many ways, in most ways! But positive thinking and blessing counting will not take away how much I miss my Liesl. Grief is normal, expected, and lifelong. It’s taken me a long time to understand that. I felt so ashamed about my grief, but now I know that grief is allowed even in a person of faith. Jesus was “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief”. He wept when Lazarus died even though He would shortly raise him from the dead because He loved Lazarus and he loved his grieving family. He loves you even in your deep sadnesses. I’ve tried to focus on God’s great love and Him sending us a Savior as the greatest miracles He offers.
•Advice Robyn would give to others that lose someone
Be so compassionate to yourself. Great joy AND great sadness will always coexist in your heart. I also think therapy is wonderful.
