Nea Fane – Un Biet Român Pripășit în America / A Hapless Romanian Stuck in The US

I posted the “How Are You” on the Facebook groups for grieving parents (I am member of two such groups).

This next piece is for you.

I read through every single response. I didn’t reply in the moment, but please know how much each one meant to me. What I wrote was deeply personal, but so many of you responded with your own stories, your own pain, your own version of grief. The comments were both heartbreaking and soothing.

Today is the feast of St. Alexandru in the Orthodox Church. Alexandru is my son’s name – Cosmin Alexandru. Forever 29. On this special day, I want to take a moment to thank this group from the bottom of my heart.

You were, and continue to be, here when almost no one else was. A constant, steady presence.

Nothing in this life prepares you for the loss of a child. Nothing.

We all carry this grief in our own way. When this journey began almost four years ago, seven close friends stayed by my side, quietly supportive, never pushy, calling or texting every day just to listen, or simply to talk about anything at all.
Today, only four of them remain.

And then, there is all of you.

While it breaks my heart that so many of us share this pain, I am endlessly grateful for a space where people truly understand without needing an explanation. There is something profoundly comforting about being among people who don’t need you to explain why a particular day is hard, why a memory suddenly brings you to your knees, or why grief can still feel as raw as it did yesterday.

Thank you for being my sanctuary.

Thank you for being here.

And, most of all, thank you for helping keep me grounded when grief threatens to pull me under.

Today, on St. Alexandru’s day, I am thinking of my son, and I am thinking of all of you.