" Parents who have lost a child should be told that they will never heal from their loss. They will always have a terrible, wide hole within them. And other holes, smaller ones. The way the dead daughter used to smell like apples in the summer? That’s a hole. How the dead boy snorted when he laughed really hard. Another hole. One hole surrounded by nearly an entire constellation of others. So no, if your child dies, you will not heal. Do not wait for the healing to arrive. It will never come. The holes will never leave or be filled with anything at all. But holes are interesting things. "

― Augusten Burroughs , This Is How: Proven Aid in Overcoming Shyness, Molestation, Fatness, Spinsterhood, Grief, Disease, Lushery, Decrepitude & More. For Young and Old Alike.