Saying Goodbye to Peanut......

Today we attended a Memorial Service for families who have lost a baby. It was a very simple service and I think just what we needed to say a final and offical goodbye to our precious Peanut. The service started off with a candle lighting...

Then moved on to some poems read by families. The poem were very heart touching and so very true to how I am sure everyone in the room feels. During one of the poems called Pebbles they passed around little rocks for each person to take in rememberance of their baby. They also gave us all bracelets that say Remembering Our Babies ( I was unable to get a pic of the pebbles or bracelets... they just didn't turn out) and a Baby Teardrop plant

Once the candles were all lit and the poems were read we moved on to a cemetery for a balloon release. We each were give a card, the front of the cards said:

With these Balloons, We remember our babies who have died.

Death has forced us to say let go of the children we would hold.

But as we let go of our balloons we send forth a message:

To our community, Our babies were wanted, were real, are loved and remembered.

To one another as bereaved families, You are not alone.

With Support, we survive and grow.

To our beloved babies, We remember you.

We miss you.

And most of all we love you.

The back of the cards allowed room for each of us to write our own special message to our baby. Then as one group we said goodbye to our babies and set our balloons free... click balloons to see a video of the release

The service ended with a special prayer and each of us sprinkling rose petals on a special grave in the baby section at the cemetery...

I left the service feeling so much better. I had such anxiety on our way there and I was so scared about the feelings that may erupt but in the end the service helped to free my heart from the grief and allow me to simply remember my Peanut with Joy :)