Twenty-nine years ago, yesterday, Heather's little girl, Elisabeth, died suddenly She was five years old. It was also her grandmother's (Sue's and Heather's mom's) birthday. Pearl had also died suddenly in almost the same spot on the past Christmas Day.
Heather takes the day to be still and to remember. Yesterday, she decided that she was going to feed the birds. In Heather's park, birds will sometimes land and feed directly from the hand. I hope that was the case for Heather yesterday. That doesn't happen here, but Sue went out to leave piles of seed for our feathered friends.
Little gestures can mean a lot.
A picture of Elisabeth from Heather's journal.
17 comments:
How poignant, to have two deaths linked. The sisters must really feel the sadness on March 30 to mark the lives of their loved ones. I like the idea of small rituals of remembrance. Feeding little birds is such a sweet gesture, helping small lives have nourishment.
How very sad. I hope the family has a serene day on this sad occasion.
Having someone remember is such a gift. Thank you! It was so windy at the lake, the chickadees were hiding. But, the waves were crashing and a tenacious round of robins were wrestling worms from the dirt. These seemed most fitting.
It's hard to imagine...the sudden loss of a child must be overwhelming. Blessings to you, Heather.
Heart breaking on so many levels! Life changes forever!
This touches me to the core. I just finished reading "It's Hard Being You," a mother's memoir of grieving the loss of her disabled daughter (along with desperately striving to overcome her stutter). It's incredibly powerful and was a striking reminder of how deeply that grief can be felt by parents and grandparents. After Rick read it, he and I were talking about what might affect us most -- our grown boys or our toddler grands and we both said we thought the toddlers. So much life to be lived.
I'm so sorry you have had to join this club that no one wants to be a member of.
Thank you for letting us join in this observance of two lives suddenly over. Life falls into before and after when a child dies. So sudden. The gesture of feeding birds, to affirm life, is powerful.
This broke my heart. We lost a grandson four+ years ago. The grief is not so sharp and cutting as it was on that awful day, but it is still something that brings tears to my eyes. There is nothing more awful than the death of a child.
What a wonderful tribute to those you love & lost.
I can think of nothing worse than losing a child. I hope it is a peaceful day of remembrance for her and the family.
The double loss was indeed a sad coincidence and the tribute was very touching.
Incredibly sad. Our family went through a similar tragedy. My dad never came to terms with the loss.
Did you ever find out why?
I'm so sorry.
No parent should have to bury a child.
So sad of a tragedy. The personal memorial time each year is hopefully comforting in the midst of the memories. Making your own type of personal "service" for those who are gone feels better than all of the ceremony at a big funeral.
After I lost my best friend from junior high, our mutual high school friend and I went to the gravesite before sunset, played our favorite tunes, drank and poured Dr. Pepper, smoked her cigarettes, and drank some cheap champagne, with an orange rose on the new mound of dirt. We had already planned how to leave the cemetery after dark without getting locked in. Meant more than whatever it was we saw happen at the funeral.
Gentle blessings among the good memories. Linda in Kansas
Such a tragic thing to happen! I'm glad they share their memory of her in such a beautiful way.
Ceremonies feel important, to me.
What a precious little girl, and well-loved.
I am so sorry for your loss.
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