Garden of Hope

I serve on the Garden of Hope committee for M.E.N.D.  We have spent countless hours over the last year making this dream become reality (and the dream was born before I even had a need to know about M.E.N.D.).  In less than 12 days, the Garden will be complete and will be dedicated at the 20th annual Walk to Remember.  It also happens to be on the anniversary of Elena's due date.  This project is so near and dear to my heart and all the more special as it shares a milestone date with my sweet girl.

Today the Hope Monument arrived at the Garden.  It brought tears to my eyes.  The bronze sculpture features a mother with empty arms, heart locket clasped in one hand, sitting beside Jesus who holds her baby in one arm and holds the mother's hand in His other hand.  It was more beautiful in person than I imagined.  The artist and her husband personally delivered and installed the monument.  I felt honored to be there.  I feel honored to be part of something so meaningful.

The work I do for M.E.N.D. is a truly a labor of love.  M.E.N.D. has brought relationships that I cherish like family, sisters who share a bond through our babies in heaven.  These relationships, this work, this ministry - these are all gifts brought to me through Elena's life.  I feel that I honor her through this work, that I create a legacy for her by keeping her memory alive and sharing her life with others.  It's almost a way to "mother" her - I can't be her room mom or drive her to ballet or soccer or read her stories at bed time, but I can do work that blesses others because of her.

Sweet Elena, I wish I could mother you in the ways that most parents get to care for their children.  I wish I could brush your hair and kiss the top of your blond head before tucking you in bed each night.  I wish I could take you to gardens to look at pretty flowers and sculptures.  Instead, I had to settle for helping to build a garden for you and for so many other sweet babies whose parents also so wish they were parenting them here on earth instead of building a garden.  I wish you were here to see it (though I suppose if you were here, there would be no reason for us to see it).