Post Memorial Service

I was able to take part of the Friday off to attend the memorial service I mentioned below. I was thankful, but obviously sad that I had to go to this. While driving to the memorial, I thought of my friend J.K. who a couple of years ago gave birth to twins and had to also say goodbye to her babies. The service was not here in town...however, when she came back to BC for a visit, she had a semi-memorial/celebration for her little ones and I attended that. I cried for the girls who tried so hard to fight for their lives and who I would never meet, I cried for the parents who had to make difficult decisions, the fact they had to say goodbye...and anybody who knows someone who has gone through this, as if the situation wasn't bad enough, it gets worse because they have to name the deceased and fill in information for a death certificate.

But it didn't matter that I was sad for this couple and maybe that I was perhaps uncomfortable...it was nothing compared to what this couple now had to go through. The service was a place that I hadn't been before. And it was beautiful. The staff were extremely respectful. And my friend have some common friends so I was happy to see the common friends there to which gave me a chance to catch up with them.

When we arrived, we all received a little card with a picture of this little girl on the front, on the back was the program for the service. And I honestly stared at this picture for a long time and I stared at this picture during the service. This baby really was perfect. I really choked up when I saw a picture frame which had a piece of paper inserted into it...the piece of paper had 4 stamps on there...2 of which were of her handprints and 2 which were of her footprints. So tiny.

The couple themselves were unbelievably amazing through all of this. And I was in awe of them. But the one thing that was even more amazing was all the love that was there that day. The love for the couple, the love for their living son and the love for the daughter that passed. Really incredible.

The one "bright" side was catching up with all my friends there. So much has changed for each of us. And unfortunately, being at this memorial also brought about many stories of my friends' losses. Too many to count. But catching up with each one was so good.

To this lovely family, you really are in my thoughts. I am thinking of all of you.