The Duggar family

The latest on people's insensitivity to others' grief starts here with the Duggar family's recent loss of sweet Jubilee Shalom Duggar. The infant was stillborn December 11, 2011. The Duggar family chose, as many families do, to take photos of their beautiful daughter. Though some celebrated with them the existence of their daughter and the way in which they chose to remember her, many others came running to facebook and blogs to persecute and condemn them for, I suppose, the audacity to memorialize a dead child. One person actually said of their decision to post the photo on their web site, "I think the decision was misguided and macabre." Misguided??? That word throws me more for a loop than the word macabre. Who in the hell does she think she is to tell this family that their decision was misguided? But of course her argument was that she has a right to her opinion. Yes, indeed she does. However, I have a much higher regard for someone who, in times like these, practices composure, kindness, and empathy, than I do for their expressions of their rights to stupid, unwarranted opinions.

No one who has not gone through such grief can truly know what they might do in a similar situation, so I believe it is of a safer and sounder method to sit back and experience this with the Duggar family than it is to jump in and try to participate. Unfortunately, I believe that this particular woman to whom I am referring represents the vast majority. She doesn't know the experience of burying a child she had longed for, but she feels certain that she could "do it better" than the Duggars and wants everyone to hear about it. Or even if she HAD experienced it, it's different for each person, for each family. Our unique life experiences and perspectives, our values and belief systems, these things shape how we each deal with grief and loss. Why can't people appreciate that diversity among us and keep their opinions to themselves, especially in the midst of such a sorrowful experience? I just don't get it... I really don't.

Anyway, the picture that the above-mentioned woman (and others) have labeled as "macabre" is available at this link ( http://www.duggarfamily.com/content/jubilee). Personally, I don't believe that ANY child is monstrous, breathing or not, and I happen to think the photo is beautiful. It speaks to me volumes about love between parent and child.