March 30, 2010

Elise's Angelversary

I hesitate to call it a birthday. It should be a birthday, it was the day she was born, but she wasn't born alive.
It is an anniversary of sorts, but both birthday and anniversary have such a happy connotation to them.
Asian cultures call it a death anniversary.
Breaved parents coined the term angelversary. This word denotes the annual date of a child's death. Stillbirth parents are marking both birth and death on the same day. So it is different than a regular birthday. Angelversary is the answer to describing this most difficult day.

Anyway, Elise's angelversary is next Tuesday. I am bitter that I am not ordering her first cake to dig into and make a mess with. Instead I am searching for butterflies to release in honor of her short life and amazing spirit. I think I finally found some...not exactly what I wanted, but they will do. The weather forcast is finally up for Tuesday and it looks like it will be nice enough to hold a backyard memorial.

Everyone is invited to join us at our home next Tuesday, April 6 as we do indeed celebrate Elise. I am still not exactly sure how the event will unfold, but I can't imagine the day passing without honoring her in some way. So if you are able, please join us at our home around 6 pm.