Planting Seeds of Hope for Mother's Day

The salesclerks at the local shops likely thought we were just another clan buying flowers for Mother’s Day. And we were – but for a very special project – the Wings of Hope memorial site at Calvary Cemetery which offers an opportunity to remember all of the lives lost to miscarriage, stillbirth, and newborn death. Celebrating Mother’s Day at the cemetery might not be a joyful, peaceful, and empowering experience for many. But that is just what it was for me today as my mother and daughter joined me for planning, selecting, and placing the flowers and river rock (with some additional and much appreciated help from my husband and son).

It was much more than landscaping. For my mom and me, we were there as mothers who have lost, and as mothers who wished there could have been something more during those dark days. We were also there as women wanting in some small way to provide that something more for the next generation. It was about more than planting flowers and shrubs for Mother’s Day – it was about planting seeds of hope that families who experience the grief of pregnancy loss can also experience the comfort of knowing they do not have to travel the journey alone.

Happy Mother’s Day to my own mom – and to all of the mothers out there who have ever loved a child. 
Chris O - Wings of Hope Committee Chair

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