Once again, I participated in an event that I never imagined would be part of my life, The Wave of Light. As I have posted before, October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. In addition, October 15th is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. At 7:00 pm, local time, people light candles in remembrance of those children who never had the chance to come home or grow up. The idea is, if everyone lights a candle at 7:00 pm and keeps it burning for at least one hour, there will be a continuous wave of light over the entire world.
In my attempt to preserve the memory of my daughters and to bring awareness to the overwhelming world that is pregnancy and infant loss, I posted about the Wave of Light and asked for participation from my friends and family. I must say, I am completely overwhelmed by the love and support I received. Friends, family, and co-workers all took part, lighting candles in memory of Stella and Joy. I received texts, Facebook and Instagram notifications, and pictures from those who participated. Surprisingly, I did not cry. Instead, I smiled. It was amazing to see how many lives my daughters touched, even though they never had the chance to live or grow up.
In the months since delivering Stella and Joy, I have joined numerous support groups on Facebook. Connecting with women who have also experienced stillbirth or pregnancy loss has helped me feel that I am not alone. My timeline was FILLED with candles, lights, pictures, and stories posted by these women. It is overwhelming to see just how many lives this affects, but there was something peaceful about seeing the wave of light. Something calming.
So thank you to those of you who participated in memory of Stella and Joy. It means the world to me and Zach that you took the time to remember and honor our girls.
