A mom’s hope on her grief journey: Cindy

A mom recently remembered turning a corner in her grief journey a few years back:

“I was standing in front of the second-floor window of Emily’s House with (my daughter) Natalie. A place we liked to come because it was quiet, and Natalie could feel the sun on her face. I was feeling very helpless that day, knowing that Natalie wouldn’t be with me, sharing these moments, for very much longer. I remember being scared not knowing what my family and our lives would be like without her. It was such an overwhelming feeling. When I looked down, Ava’s family was gathering to honour her and dedicate the garden in her memory. I watched as her family gathered before the ceremony, and it was in that moment that I felt a tiny seed of hope. I was watching a family who had recently lost their child and they were still a ‘family’. They found a way through their grief to create something beautiful and meaningful to them to honour their child. Of course, I didn’t know how important this beautiful garden would become to many families, including my own. I did know though, in that moment, that it is possible to still be a family after grief. The pain is there but others will also be there, to share and help you with your pain. I have not missed too many gatherings at the Garden Memorial, but every year I make sure I sit where I can still see that window. It gives me great peace to see where I once was, and where I am today in my grief, and honouring my daughter’s memory.”