Bereaved Mother's

The Mother's Day I was pregnant with Dan, I looked at all the Mother's Day cards and couldn't wait for Dan to pick one out or create one in school.  He would be so proud of what he picked out or created.  

I had 5 Mother's Day's with him.  5 glorious days - with the last one just before his diagnosis of Niemann-Pick.

Then came the Mother's Day after we was gone.  One of the worst days I have had.  I felt like a failed mom - I couldn't keep my child safe, I couldn't protect him - I had failed as a mother.

The Mother's Day I was pregnant with Shelby, I started to look forward to those hand picked or hand created cards.  I was confident that I would have many years of those cards to look forward too.  My job as a mother wasn't complete - I was given a second chance.

The past couple of years, I have seen posts and articles about International Bereaved Mother's Day.  I usually see them the day of, and I never realize when it is coming.  I just realized that it is the 1st Sunday in May.

Anyway, today is that day - International Bereaved Mothers Day (#internationalbereavedmothersday).  Yes, it's a real day.  Would I say "Happy International Bereaved Mother's Day"?  Um, no.  But I have seen that phrase today.  Must be from someone who just didn't realize what it meant.

I found a great article on Huffington Post today.  Click here to read it.  You can visit the official page about this day here and some additional "holiday" information here.

Book Review: Beauty in the Broken Places

I  have been fortunte to be on several launch teams.  I joined this book launch team for Beauty in the Broken Places because I could relate to Allison's journey into being an unexpected caregiver.  When I received my copy to read, I kept putting it off because I didn't know if I wanted to re-experience the emotions what I went through with Dan - the sudden earth-shattering news, the loss of the life you expect to have, and your life being changed unexpectedly.

I eventually sat down and got completely immersed into Allison's and Davy's life - from the time they met, through his unlikely stroke, and into recovery.  In reading the words, it felt like an old friend talking to me. Allison has an amazing way with words, an easy conversational style that sucks the reader into the story.

There were times I cried, because I had felt the same feelings.  There were times I smiled and laughed, because, wellw ell just can't make up what happens in life.  It was hard to put the book down, even knowing how it ends.

But, overall, it's about the strength of two people who fight through the challenges that life throw at them.  Their marriage goes through challenges and they, and their marriage, come out stronger in the end.

If you have had marriage challenges, health challenges, or love to read memoirs, this book is definitely for you!

Here are just a few quotes from Lee Woodruff's forward and Allison's text: