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Annual Walk to Remember
Saturday, October 11, 2008
REGISTRATION DEADLINE is Sept. 1st
to have your baby's name on the event shirt!
You can still register after the deadline, but you will not be able to have your child's name on the shirt. Registration is done online now, so take a minute and get signed up!
Walk to Remember is a local organization (Littleton Colorado) who has hosted a memorial walk at beautiful Clement Park annually since 2003. Once again, this year we would like to do our part in spreading awareness of this moving and memorable event. Proceeds from this annual event benefit are used to support local families after the death of a baby. Bring your wallet - you won't want to miss out on this silent auction!
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2008 Annual Benefit - A Success! |
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Our Annual Event was a huge success, and fun was had by all! I'd like to extend a giant thank you to everyone who helped this year's event exceed our goals. To our sponsors and generous auction donors, our tireless volunteers, our wonderful supporters who attended, especially to our special guest Alan Pedersen, and the services of Brilliant Balloons, Aces Casino Company, Grandstand Sports, and of course the fabulous staff at the Marriott Denver South at Park Meadows.
What a night!
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2008 Butterfly Release - Thanks! |
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On behalf of the board and volunteers at RTF, I'd like to extend a warm
thank you to all who made it to our Butterfly Release and Summer
Remembrance Event on Saturday, June 21st. It is truly an honor to be
able to remember our children together, and hopefully there was some
joy found as well, in coming together as a group and seeing with your
eyes that you are not alone. It was a beautiful day; the sun
peeped through the trees and made for a cool and inviting setting, and
there wasn't a cloud in the morning sky! It was also the first time for folks to see our new memorial walls.
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Trying to remain objective in the face of emotion
I asked my husband the other day if he thought about our deceased
daughter daily. His response was that he did not. I respect the fact
that he answered the question honestly, considering he must have known
it might upset me. He had an apologetic tone as he did so because I am
sure he knew it was not what I was hoping to hear. I suppressed the
knee-jerk flare up of righteous-indignant defense of our daughter's
memory, and tried instead to make sense of why this is the case. But
since then I had been troubled by the knowledge that she doesn't occupy
his mind in the same way that she does mine.
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Ramblings of a Grieving Mother |
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Do you know me? I used to be so cheerful, the proud owner of an easy smile. I was optimistic and upbeat; pointing out the silver lining behind each of the dark and looming clouds. I was walking across the bridge into motherhood, and felt full of dreams for this baby that was growing inside me, our baby, my baby.
Do you remember me? I used to love going out with my friends, chatting on the phone, hanging out doing nothing, dishing over the gossip columns. I was the one who laughed the hardest when we saw that show together. I was the one who would spend hours shopping with you to find that perfect dress for your special event.
I was the one. I was.
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Proof that we're traveling on two-way street
In the wake of the death of your child, when everything is turned
upside down and your mind has dragged you into The Big Round Room ,
it is next to impossible to muster up the energy required to reach out
to others. This is a time when you are just so broken and in such
physical and emotional pain that self preservation and the more base
instincts take over and you turn inward, processing and hurting.
Like a crab who has outgrown and shed his old shell, you retreat into
safety while your new shell hardens. You prepare yourself to emerge as
the new you, stepping into your new normal. Those first tentative
steps are scary, the future is uncertain. It takes an enormous amount
of courage and energy to show yourself to others, to be vulnerable and
exposed in this way.
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We Do Not Grieve in a Vacuum |
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Openness and honesty during the grieving process are vital.
When you survive a deep loss like the death of your child, I don't
think many people would argue with the fact that you come through this
event a changed person. In fact, I think "changed" is putting it
mildly. And while most people would (and do) agree with this notion in
theory, the ramifications in practice are not so easily accepted.
So, what happens when you are living in your grief and the rest of the
world has gone back to their lives? How can you cope with the
well-meaning family and friends who have decided that it is time for
you to move on? Once you've settled into your post-loss life, what are
you supposed to do about the well-meaning people who just wish you'd be happier,
more interested in life, or just quite simply... the old you?
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