The impact of the death of a child on meaning and purpose in life

Abstract

Abstract This article examines one aspect of parental readjustment to the death of a child, change in meaning and purpose in life, through use of thick descriptions (Geertz, 1973) from parents bereaved for 1 or more years. Findings are congruent with Frankl's (1963) argument that meaning in life can be discovered in three different ways; parents expressed having found new meaning in life through helping others, through changing their values and priorities, and through having endured suffering. Implications for counselors are discussed.