A Gift To Myself

I bought this today.







The inscription reads:

Grieve not, nor speak of me with tears,
but laugh and talk of me as if I were beside you.
I loved you so- 'twas heaven here with you.
-- Isla Paschal Richardson

While I'm not quite ready to quit grieving, and certainly the tears are still flowing, this is the first thing in a while that has made me really, truly happy. To know that I will have something TANGIBLE, some sort of proof (besides the emotional scars) that this was real, that I somehow didn't imagine those precious few weeks when I carried my child with me in my body as well as in my heart.

Part of moving on is honoring this child, fleeting though my time with them was. To that end, I've also made a donation (via Kym) to Parenthood for Me. (Click on the word "donation" to read about their latest fundraiser). The table sponsors will be the ALI blogging community, this group of wonderful women (I know I say that a lot, but it is so true) without whom I would never, ever, be able to make it through this.

To both my baby, and to my bloggy friends, I say "thank you." Thank you for coming into my life, be it for an hour, a week, or a lifetime.

Thank you for allowing me to dream of a future where the heartache of infertility is but a distant memory.

Thank you for holding my hand.

Thank you for giving me hope.



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To make a donation of your own, visit Kym over at I'm A Smart One. (Though you should be visiting her anyway -- she is one funny --and amazingly kind and selfless -- bi-otch.)

Also, if you are interested, this site has a TON of cards/jewelry/gifts to commemorate miscarriage or infant loss, for you or a friend or family member who is grieving.