Prior to 2008 I ashamedly admit that October 15th was, well, just another day in the month.
Ironically, my wedding anniversary is in October (the 7th), but other than that, October only represented the celebration of my marriage and the fact that Halloween is enjoyed by many of us on the 31st.
Having my miscarriages (seeing two heartbeats and then seeing a still screen two different times) not only changed how I view the month of October, it changed me...forever.
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| Angel Baby #1 EDD: 4/1/09 |
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| Angel Baby #2 EDD 7/31/09 |
You see, I am not the mother of TWO children, my precious boys, I am the mother of FOUR children.
Two here on earth to love and cherish each and everyday (and I do) and two angel babies who (although not ever having been able to hold them in my arms) I also love and cherish.
There is honestly not a single day that goes by that I don't think about those angel babies and "what if"?
Their due dates are just as emblazoned in my mind and in my heart as the delivery dates of my sweet sons.
For some of you reading this who have not every experienced such a loss my sentiments might be hard to understand.
However, unfortunately, there is a secret fraternity of woman out there who know and understand exactly how I feel.
Worse yet, this secret fraternity has members that have sadly and courageously endured bringing a "sleeping" infant into this world or experienced losing a baby/ies after having them here on earth to hold and love.
In 2006, the U.S. House of Representatives (with the U.S. Senate concurring) passed a Resolution supporting the goals and ideals of having a Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day and declared October 15th of each year to be that day.
If you click here you can read a portion of the transcript when Congress passed this resolution...a resolution that held special meaning for so many of the members who felt compelled to address the House floor and speak from their hearts.
One member, Representative Gingrey from Georgia, spoke words that totally hit home for me:
Mr. Speaker, I think the importance of this resolution is to let people know that when couples have a miscarriage, it is a child. It might be for some people, well, it is just a miscarriage. They were only 6 weeks or they were only 9 weeks, and they did not even know whether it was a boy or girl. But in the minds of that couple in many instances it is their very first pregnancy, and they are already thinking about that little boy or the little girl and what the name is going to be and the clothes that they are going to pick out and the joys they are going to have sending that child to school and raising it and seeing it play sports and become an adult some day and contribute to our great society. We tend to forget that. And this was brought home to me pretty vividly recently when my daughter-in-law, pregnant with their first child, found out at 10 weeks that the baby did not have a heartbeat. And so that baby was lost. And she went on, of course, and miscarried. And that loss will be with them forever. And so I think it is just so important for us all to realize that when somebody, when you hear about somebody having a miscarriage, do not think, well, it was just a miscarriage, it is not like losing a child or an older child, which of course I do not know that anything compares to that. But this is a significant loss. And that is why this resolution today is so important.
So friends, if you are reading this, I simply ask that you take a brief moment today to say a prayer for all who share in the significance of this date.
For many, it's simply October 15, 2011, but for oh so many as well it's a day to...remember.
Thank you and God Bless!
