Memorial Walk for Babies

Friday night we experienced an amazing event to help us remember Holden, the Memorial Walk for Babies in Midland.  Our friend, Allison Webb, had told us about the event only days after Holden was born.  We looked into it and decided we definitely wanted to attend.  Allison told us she would walk with us, so we were very thankful she wanted to remember our son like this with us.  She also bought a memorial sign for him to have at the walk.  A girl we met through our son's loss, Paige Thomas, is one of the walk's organizers.  What a blessing it was to meet sweet Paige and her precious family, in person.

When we arrived at the park, we were SHOCKED to see that Tisha and Charys had surprised us and came all the way to Midland to be with us (6 hours of driving, just because they love Holden and us...wow)!!!  What a gift and sweetest surprise ever.  Please go to Tisha's site: Shuffied Photography to see how wonderfully she captured the event with her gifted photography.

It was bittersweet to see all the families in attendance.  But getting to remember all of our sweet babies through something like this, was very healing.  I was sad that we had to write down so many names on balloons, of our friends' babies who have gone to heaven as well.  Tisha has pictures of some of the balloons we released.  I realized how much I couldn't write on the balloons...I just started tearing up with their names.  I wanted to write so much more, but I'm not a fan of public crying.

During the message at the walk, it was mentioned that our children are all God's, and that we must care for them with "open hands".  I had heard the "open hands theory" when we went through Dave Ramsey's financial lessons...leaving our hands open for what truly already belongs to God, to receive even more blessings.  I had not heard it in regards to our babies and children though.  It is a good way to describe that our children are all God's and He has given them to us as caregivers, not owners.

The precious singer at the event sang "There Will Be A Day" by Jeremy Camp and "Amazing Grace-My Chains Are Gone" by Chris Tomlin.  They were so beautiful and emotional...there WILL be a day when we will have no tears.

Of all the things we have done since Holden's service on August 31st, I think this was the most healing for us.  Releasing balloons up to our precious son, and our friends' precious heaven babies, was so special.  Tears are replacing words as I type.

The money raised by the event goes towards First Candle and memory boxes for families like ours.  It is something that you can only fully appreciate when you have been through the loss of your child.  The memory boxes, NOT a baby, is all families have to take home from the hospital.  They are incredibly important.  When we drove home with our memory box for Holden - and an empty car seat - I just thought of how much it meant to me.  It was so unfair to have something like that 'in place of' my son, but I know it held priceless things about him, like his footprints.  I am so grateful these boxes exist.  The memory boxes created by the volunteers at the Memorial Walk for Babies are beautiful...what treasures they will be to families one day.

Thank you Tisha, Auntie Charys and Allison for joining us in remembering Holden.