Remembrance, Awareness and Sharing

I have become such a BLM slacker.  I know that I have plenty of legitimate reasons, but I feel so shitty for disappearing from our community for weeks at a time.  I'll be honest...I don't miss the ever-present cloud of sadness that lingers here, but I miss everything else and everyone when I am gone.  I miss the constant flow of support and love that travels in every direction imaginable.  For now, I am back...hoping to find a way to better manage my time...a way that will allow me more blogging time than I have had in recent weeks and months.  I haven't been able to do much in the way of blog reading over the last month, so if any of you have any any big happenings or announcements, can you drop me a comment at the bottom to bring me briefly up to speed?  Thanks!  :-P

I know that most people who read here are aware of the Faces of Loss site.  If, somehow, you are not familiar with it, I urge you to check it out!   Gracie's story was posted on August 2nd, and since then so many more personal accounts have been posted.  I am constantly amazed by the vast number of men and women in our community...and at the same time I am amazed by the ways that members of this community find to offer support to others and bring awareness to our experiences.

Again this year, on September 25th, our hospital hosted a Share Walk for Remembrance and Hope as part of their infant and pregnancy loss program and as part of Infant and Pregnancy Loss Awareness Month.  Jeff, Jenna and I attended, along with our parents.  The walk was followed by a balloon release.  Although it is a simple observance, it is nice to be able to get together with others who understand exactly what it is that we are remembering.  Here are a few pictures from the day...

 

I received an email last week from the regional March of Dimes community director regarding the local 2011 March for Babies.  Although we did not personally speak with her at length at last year's walk, she heard a substantial amount of our story through some other people who were there.  She was apparently so touched by our story that she has extended an invitation for us to be an Ambassador/Mission family for the 2011 March for Babies.  Basically, they want us to be visible and they want to make our story visible.  Jeff is not sure how he will handle the media interview aspect of things, but we decided to give it a whirl.  Our local walk is schedule for April 30th, so Gracie will be a tiny angel celebrity during the early months of 2011...at least within the reach of our local newspaper.  :-)    I was surprised that we were approached to do this, as stillbirth generally doesn't fit the profile of the MOD's Ambassador families.  That said, I am kind of glad to have the opportunity to bring a little more local attention to stillbirth.  I know that there are a few local people who follow Gracie's blog.  I urge you all to consider marking April 30th on your calendar.  I urge you to consider participating in the local March for Babies....as part of Team Graciebelle, as part of another family's team to, or as your own team to honor and remember your angel.  I urge everyone else to consider participating in their local March for Babies in the spring.