It has been just over eleven months since Elena was born and died. Her first birthday is four weeks from today. Time being the funny creature that it is, it feels both so long ago and just like yesterday at the same time. We miss you so much Baby Girl!
We had a big first birthday celebration for our son a couple of summers ago. How I had looked forward to Elena's first birthday party, imagining a chubby little girl in a pink dress wearing a big bow on her head while she smashed into her own little cake! Perhaps she would toddle over to her highchair all by herself, or maybe she would still need to crawl to reach it.
Elena is still very much our daughter, and we still long to celebrate her. We are asking for your help with her first birthday celebration. It has always been our desire that Elena's life, however brief, would have a positive impact on the world. For her birthday, we are asking our family and friends to do some act of kindness in her memory and to share the story with us. You can do this anytime between now and her birthday on May 23. The possibilities are endless, but here are a few examples: *pay for the person behind you in the fast food line, *let the person in line behind you at the store go ahead of you, *donate toys to a children's home, *donate food to a food bank, *give a financial gift to your favorite charity in memory of Elena (or to see organizations that have touched us and accept gifts, click on the "On Our Journey" tab above), *take cookies to your local fire station, *give a preemie outfit to your local NICU. It really can be anything, we just ask that you think of Elena and do it in her memory. If the opportunity presents itself, share her story when you share your kindness. Then let us know what you did to remember Elena. You can leave a comment on this page or email us at elenas.echoes at gmail dot com. We will add it to the Elena's Echoes tab and celebrate as her tiny footprints continue to leave a big imprint on the world!
