Go Further

We want our kids and the generations coming behind us to stand taller and go further than us. In so many ways, my daughter Randie went further and stood taller than I ever will. In spite of countless obstacles and hardships, Randie maintained a warm, giving heart. And it’s this particular quality she possessed, I believe, is the reason her spirit is still felt and with us today. On this day, April 27th, Randie was born in Oceanside, California. I miss our long talks. One minute Randie would be telling me something personal about her life, and the next minute, in her uniquely Randie way, she would shift gears and be telling me about the reasons bell hooks (one of Randie’s many favorite authors) wanted all of the letters of her name printed in lower-case. I’m still having trouble accepting Randie’s passing. A lot of you over the past few years have helped me and our family deal with this never-ending grieving process. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you and I sincerely hope that you and all of your loved ones continue to grow and go beyond even your own expectations. – Randolph Randy Camp

Finding Strength: Coping With Grief

When you look at some people and see them smiling, I swear, you might be surprised to find out that there’s a whole lot of pain and grief hidden underneath that smile.


Not to get too technical, but within the several stages of grief, I’m definitely far from the upward turn. However, during my conversations with Melinda (who’ve been grieving in her own way for quite awhile now) I’ve been able to learn a thing or two and gather some strength.
Coping with the loss of a loved one is one of our toughest challenges. Melinda has been hit by this very issue, and although it devastated her, I must say though that I’m impressed by the way she’s able to find her ‘moments’, her little moments of strength.


With the loss of my grandson Anthony recently, I, myself, found a bit of strength during my conversations with Melinda. I’m nearly sixty years old, and it’s kind of amazing how this young lady has impacted my life, especially as I’m currently going through these stages of grief.
And once again, I would like to thank all of you who’ve been supportive (in any such way) as myself and our family are still coping with the loss of my grandson Anthony.


If you’re currently going through the stages of grief, I hope that, somehow, you too, are finding your little moments of strength. – Randolph Randy Camp