Yesterday was a great day (and that's an understatement).
I had the opportunity to turn some dear blog friends into something a little more...
I got to hug necks (finally), enjoy great food and conversation, and turn a handful of wonderful people into REAL LIFE FRIENDS!
(Creamy Potato Soup)
(My Southwest Black Bean Burger)
(Eli enjoying his food)
(Ansley eating LEMONS!)
I'll admit I wouldn't have had the courage to walk through the restaurant doors to meet everyone if my husband hadn't spent the entire two hour drive assuring me everything was going to be alright. I'm so thankful Joseph came with me for support and encouragement. I was so nervous. Going to meet everyone was a HUGE leap for me.
I expected awkward silences, personality clashes, and me ending up feeling pretty silly by the end of our lunch...
MAN WAS I WAY OFF BASE!
I guess when you join the "baby loss" club, it doesn't matter what you do or don't have in common... What is important, is that the man or woman you are sitting next to misses their baby just as much as you miss yours.
I can't tell you how nice it was for all of us to not only sit around and get to know each other, but to be able to spend hours sitting around talking about our sweet babies. For those couple of hours, I didn't feel so alone in this scary new world.
Pictures were passed around (I wish I had remembered to get a picture of Holly's scrapbooks. They were amazing!)...
Special animals and mementos were shared...
I even managed to get Celia on the phone so she could talk to everyone! (We missed you Celia)
It was a really great day.
Bittersweet, but great.
A thought kept resounding in my head as I was surrounded by all these wonderful people.
"None of us would be here today, or even know each other, if our babies hadn't died." Instead of letting that thought rob me from my joy, I chose to look at it as a gift from our babies because they couldn't be here...
Thank you Wyatt, Carleigh, Kaden, Amiee, Logan, and Grace for brining all of your mommy's and daddy's together. You may not have been there physically, but you were there in every other way.
And to Mary, Nicole, Holly, Mary Ellen, Jenny and family... Thanks for such a terrific day!
