The intense emotions that parents feel for their children is one of the highest forms of love. It ranks just ahead of the empathetic kind of love that conveys compassion for parents who have lost their children.

Brothers and Sisters In Support (BASIS) will celebrate both of those forms of meaningful love at its upcoming event.

"Everybody deals with grief differently," said Dan Steinman, who's been the director of BASIS ministries for four years. "There's no right way or wrong way. Some people lose a child and they're in shock. For some parents, when there's a long illness, you're sad because they died, but there's relief because the pain is over. There's not a time limit on grief. Sometimes you just don't know how to react. There's hurt there, and sometimes a hug is enough."

BASIS, one of three altruistic initiatives supported by Handi-Vangelism of Akron, is serving this year's edition of its annual bereavement breakfast at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, at Yoder's Restaurant's Banquet Center, 14 S. Tower Road, New Holland. Designed for parents who have lost children, the buffet breakfast is free to attend, and attendees are asked to register at http://www.hvmi.org/basis-breakfast-register prior to Sunday, April 19.

Doors open at 9 a.m., and a freewill offering, which will benefit BASIS ministry's programs, will be accepted.

"No parent ever expects to bury a child," said Steinman. "We never think of it that way. In the normal living of life, we all expect we're going to die before our children. There are a lot of people out there who have lost children, and that's who we're trying to reach."

As part of the bereavement breakfast's program, Lititz mom Donna Nicholson Stief will address the gathering with her take on the grieving process, called "A New Lens on God and Grief."

"Some grief is like walking on shards of glass," said Stief. "For those of us who have lost a child, it's more like being pushed off a cliff - headfirst into an ocean of glass. Nothing shakes your life and faith like this loss. Grief is a matrix of complexity, and even the strongest faith can be tested, questioning the goodness of God. How do we reconcile our pain and faith to find a way forward? How can we grieve well and still be a light in our darkest moments? Maybe we need a new lens of God and grief."

More than 70 individuals from Lancaster County, Lebanon County and outside of the area are expected to attend the breakfast. Many are parents who have endured the loss of a child, some are pastors, some are support people and some are BASIS ministry board members.

Parents who have lost children will receive tokens of remembrance from BASIS board members.

"We all know people who may have had a loss in their life," said Steinman, a resident of Paradise. "But people aren't alone in their grief. There are other people who are willing to come alongside of them. They don't have to walk alone. They should know that there are other people who care."

"People share stories about what their loss was," added Steinman. "Sometimes people come to the breakfast whose grief is new. When parents lose a child, they never forget. We want to honor their children. We want to reach out to people who are hurting."

The bereavement breakfast, which has been served as long as anyone can remember, is just one of the avenues BASIS ministry uses to reach people who have been affected by the death of a child. BASIS also hosts an outreach picnic at Loyd H. Roland Memorial Park in Akron in August, sponsors other group events and activities, provides opportunities for personal contact, publishes a quarterly newsletter, produces grief podcasts and blogs, provides resources and sponsors support groups.

"We call them the three Ts - time, talk and tears," said Steinman. "They all help. People think their sons or daughters will be forgotten. (BASIS) is a safe place where people can shed a tear, but people can also laugh. It's not all doom and gloom."

In addition to the 52-year-old BASIS ministry, Handi-Vangelism Ministries International also sponsors a disabilities ministry and a training and equipping ministry. Handi-Vangelism Ministries International, which is located at 3261 Rothsville Road, Akron, employs 15 staff members.