Payson Roundup

Pete Aleshire/Roundup

Bill and Marilyn Knauss talk about the child they lost and the Holiday Memorial Candle Lighting Ceremony this Sunday.

The drenched-in-cheer holiday season can stoke the misery of a grieving parent. Although bereaved parents say the anticipation of a holiday is often worse than the actual day, the thought of an empty seat at the table can fill an otherwise gleeful heart with dread. A poignant memory never fades.

Join the Holiday Memorial Candle Lighting Ceremony in memory of deceased children on Sunday in Green Valley Park at 7 p.m. The death of a child is more common than one would think, bereaved parents say.

“I want people to know that it’s okay to talk about it,” said Bill Knauss, a local chapter leader of the Compassionate Friends.

The Friends, a worldwide organization with 600 domestic branches, organized this second annual event.

The ceremony is global, so as candles are extinguished in one time zone, they are re-lit in another.

Today in the Roundup’s Living section, we feature stories of parents who have lost children, and the group that’s available to offer support.

“Being a bereaved parent is not contagious, so I wish you wouldn’t shy away from me. I need you now more than ever,” read a request on the Bereaved Parents Holiday Wish List inside the Friends’ December newsletter.

For a more extensive story turn to page 1C.