𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑?
Does she look different from one who is not?
…𝑵𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔.
Is her pain visible in the smile she sometimes forces behind the eyes on the verge of tears?
…𝑵𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇.
Can you see the aging her body feels from the trauma of loss?
…𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒓𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚.
She’s one who still pictures herself from before the loss and is sometimes caught off guard at the reflection looking back from the mirror.
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?
She’s one who ignores a baby shower or birthday invitation one day, because the pain is still too raw.
And the next, celebrates the small milestones, for she knows how precious they are.
She’s one who boxes up a lifetime of mementos in an afternoon to spare others the pain.
Yet years later still can’t dredge up the courage to go through them again.
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?
She’s one who holds it together in the big things and falls apart over spilled milk
...𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒚.
One who loves deeply those closest to her, but keeps her heart guarded for protection from others.
She’s one who grimaces at the first laughs after loss, but later laughs louder than most.
Who finds joy in the simple things and relishes every day moments.
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?
She’s one held hostage by dates on the calendar and unexpected triggers.
...𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔, 𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔, 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔.
And one who will always pause for sunsets, butterflies, and sweet signs from above.
She’s one who will let go of friends unable to support her.
And one who treasures those who didn’t walk away.
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?
She’s one who can experience an array of emotions on any given day.
And one who wishes tears would come when numbness covers her.
She’s one who screams at God one moment and clings to him the next.
A mother who didn’t expect her faith to grow so much from the most important unanswered prayer she has ever spoken.
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?
𝑺𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕.
𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅—𝒊𝒇 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚.
𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕.
𝑺𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔.
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?
She is one as complicated as the grief she carries.
“Do not judge the Grieving Mother.
She comes in many forms.
She is breathing, but she is dying.
She may look young, but inside she has become ancient.
She smiles, but her heart sobs.
She walks, she talks, she cooks, she cleans, she works,
she IS but she IS NOT, all at once.
She is here, but a part of her is elsewhere for eternity.”
~ Author Unknown ~
The poem is someone else’s heart… The italicized parts are my thoughts. Together they spell out part of this grief walk.
We missed THE MACK IMPACT GALA last night. Many of our cancer friends and family gathered to raise money to give these kids an experience of JOY during their fight. They honored their children that received experiences and then lost their cancer battle. Millie was one of the children honored. Our sweet little friend Leavyn from The journey of Leavyn Laine - Our Little Braveheart found her friend Millie's picture and posed beside it with a sweet smile. Another reminder that Millie may be gone, but she is not forgotten by those who she touched in this life.
Sweet friends are such a blessing as we stumble to find our way after loss. They become the epitome of 'Love God and Love People" as they minister to our broken hearts. I am so grateful to be a part of something bigger than my sadness.
Blessings sweet friends,
︵‿︵‿୨☆୧‿︵‿︵
☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ ｡･:*:･ﾟ★
I still believe in Millie’s Miracle
☆｡･:*:･ﾟ Hebrews 11:1 ｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
︵‿︵‿୨☆୧‿︵‿︵
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