Around the world babies are being born every second. So often so that,I think, we forget what a huge miracle life truly is. We take for granted its fragility. There are, however, those times that some of us will go through that reminds us of the fragility of life and it's preciousness.
Desiree and I were asked to be a part of and photograph this years UNM Children's Hospital Memorial Service for the families whose babies, young children, and teenagers left this earth to return to our father. There were families of still born angels, and families whose teenagers were taken by cancer, single moms, and large families, people from every station and walk of life.
I saw a grandmother slowly walk past pews full of people from different backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities. She had seen much in her life and her slow walk was a witness to her experience. She was there to remember the loss of a precious grandchild. How old her grandchild was and how the child was taken, I do not know. She placed a single white carnation in a vase amongst the carnations of a hundred other families. She then carefully reached into a basket full of glass beads which symbolized the tears that had fallen on behalf of these precious children. She clenched her cane tightly and turned to walk back to her place amongst the congregation. As she did, a tear fell from her reddened eyes down her aged face. She let it fall- fall and disappear.
I continued to watch her return to her seat as the next name was read and family came forward to remember their own child. My mind kept coming back to her.
Life, in all it's time, strength, age, and wisdom is no less fragile than the tears we shed for it's loss. Sometimes we want to wipe the tears and try to hold them back. Sometimes we just need to let them fall and disappear. I wiped tears from my eyes yesterday as I felt the sadness some of these families are enduring. I also felt a joy at the understanding some of them had for life and for it's purpose.
It was hard to be there, but an experience that everyone should, in some way, be a part of. Not only for the support of others suffering loss, but as a reminder of the fragility of life and how we need to be thankful for every sunrise with our own children.
If you read this a feel moved at all to do something please contact the UNM childrens hospital to find out how you can offer your services to them or donate to help them help our children. You can also contact Now I lay me down to sleep, a charity that Desiree is part of. They appreciate any and all of the donations they can get.
those link are:
http://hospitals.unm.edu/UNMCH/http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/Thank you for visiting us and taking the time to read this!
please keep looking at this blog and at our work. There is still a lot of life and joy to be experienced though our images.
