Thank you for sharing your story, Allison.

The analogy with an amputation is extremely good -- I've read that some amputees continue to feel the "phantom limb" long after it's gone. I feel my daughter's presence sometimes to the point where I want to turn to say something to her. Sometimes that's a blessing and a comfort; sometimes it's a painful renewal of loss. But it also means that in a way, she's still here.

There is so much that we do not understand.