Grief
comment 1

Heidi: Third Birthday

I remember a friend of mine who’s son passed away of SIDS, as well, twelve years prior told me that some years you let yourself remember and reflect and rejoice in that precious child’s life; and other times you don’t do all those things and that’s okay, too. It was their first child -Jackson was his name- and with their other children they wanted to always celebrate Jackson’s birthday with cake and balloons, the typical party paraphernalia for any age. But she told me that some years there was too much weight, too much grief in the days leading up to Jackson’s new number. She’d remind me, “And that’s okay, you know? Grief is like the ocean tide- it comes and it goes, it’s subtle and it’s overwhelming.”

I wasn’t sure how I’d handle Heidi’s third birthday this year. But I decided that I needed to celebrate her. I made a rainbow cake and added skittles for humor since she was born the day after Halloween; my parents brought balloons and flowers and a card written to Heidi. It might seem silly to some to do that much, but it did this Mama heart good to celebrate my three year old daughter. The rainbow honors our “rainbow babies” (living children after a sibling’s death), and it’s a reminder that God promises to restore. We will see our Heidi Lee again 🌈

In the hands of the potter,

1 Comment

Leave a Reply to Christine Dorsey Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *