Yesterday, New Year's Eve Day, I attended a memorial, Lights for Little Lives, put on by The Unforgettables, whose mission is to assist low-income families provide a dignified, appropriate burial for their children who have died. The memorial honors those children and babies.
It touches me beyond words. I have not had to experience such a loss...I can only imagine the heartache these parents feel.
Towards the end of the service, the first names of all the children and babies (born and unborn) are read aloud.
Heartbreaking.
Beautiful.
My favorite name - Pumpkin.
Every child
Has known God,
Not the God of names,
Not the God of don'ts,
Not the God who ever does
Anything weird,
But the God who only knows four words
And keeps repeating them, saying:
"Come dance with Me."
Come
Dance.
-Hafiz, translated by Daniel Ladinsky
Drawing - 2.5 x 3.5 inches, No.2 pencil.
My first drawing of 2010. I don't know why an elephant...never drawn one before. But I do love the fable The Blind Men and The Elephant. It has been on my mind. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Towards the end of the service, the first names of all the children and babies (born and unborn) are read aloud.
Heartbreaking.
Beautiful.
My favorite name - Pumpkin.
Every child
Has known God,
Not the God of names,
Not the God of don'ts,
Not the God who ever does
Anything weird,
But the God who only knows four words
And keeps repeating them, saying:
"Come dance with Me."
Come
Dance.
-Hafiz, translated by Daniel Ladinsky
Drawing - 2.5 x 3.5 inches, No.2 pencil.
My first drawing of 2010. I don't know why an elephant...never drawn one before. But I do love the fable The Blind Men and The Elephant. It has been on my mind. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
It must have been a memorable service, and moving, too.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you drew an elephant because of their reputation for memory? Remembering the babies?
Thank you, Dan! Wow! I do think that is a sweet and appropriate connection.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sad post. I've been told there is nothing worse than the loss of a child. The drawing reminds me of the song "Baby Elephant Walk" from the sixties. There is most assuredly a connection.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like it was a very sad day but how wonderful that there is such an organisation out there to help people through such a traumatic time. Your illustration is beautiful, and has a wonderful sense of peace - hopefully something that the families will find in time. I do think Dan is onto something with his comment about the memory of an elephant.
ReplyDelete