SHARE Atlanta Pregnancy and Newborn Loss Grief Support

Share Logo SHARE Atlanta

SHARE Atlanta Memorial Service 2003 ~
attended by about 80 people ~ pictures included here...

"For who I AM ... Will always be.”

A Small Boy...

by John Magliola
A 2nd Helping of
Chicken Soup for the Soul,
pg. 226

Read by Leon McGinnis
In memory of Catherine Marie, Elizabeth Hope, and Seth David McGinnis

"A small boy
Looked at a star
And began to weep.
And
The boy said
You are so far away
I will never be able
To touch you

And
The star answered
Boy
If I were not already
In your heart
You would not be able
To see me."

Welcome

SHARE Atlanta welcomes each of you. We hope that this special service, in memory of all of our babies, brings you hope, peace and continued healing. As we share together we know that the love we feel for our children will be forever in our hearts.

“His Candle”
by Julie Branch
In memory of Justin Paul Branch

Read by Karen Verner
In memory of Jonathan William Verner

"I light his candle
to acknowledge his life.
And I say his name
and that I miss him.
I wonder if it's celebration enough
for what he means to me.

..So I light his candle
with peace, joy, sadness and love
Content with the knowledge...
that he is with me always
because he is in my heart."

Lighting of Memorial Candle
Todd, Melina and Preston Smith
In memory of Amelia Claire Smith

In loving memory of all the precious children whose
short lives touched the hearts of their parents and friends.

"The Touch of An Angel"

by Valerie Scholovich
In memory of Megan Elizabeth and Kathryn Ann Scholovich

"May all who stand before you bask in the warmth of your knowing face
As they share a special moment of peace and love
With precious little ones that time has not left behind
And forget for the while sad spirits and heavy hearts
But instead feel the rustle of your wings and hear the whispers of the babies
So soft ... so near ... like feathers falling from the sky
Letting your warmth surround them in a wave of newfound hope
As gentle as the breeze ... as sure as the sunrise."

“Rachel’s Rose Bush”

Maria Elie
In memory of Rachel Elie

"Among all the flowers and cards, sent after the death of our daughter, Rachel, was a miniature rose bush full of tiny yellow roses.

Rachel’s rose bush was our little miracle. It always seemed to bloom at special times, as if to say, “I’m here with you.” In October 2001, a single rose appeared. Oddly, this rose had actually started growing two weeks before and then all of a sudden it stopped so as not to go into full bloom and wilt before October 21. That was the rose we would lay on her memorial brick during the dedication of the Angel Garden.

Rachel will always be in our hearts and the strength in our love for each other."

Roses of Honor ~ In memory of all of our babies

Hayden Elie
In memory of Rachel Elie and Hayden’s angel siblings

"A Person’s A Person No Matter How Small”
...with thanks to Dr. Seuss, Horton Hears a Who

“Memories of Brilea”

by Victoria Duchac Turner
In memory of Brilea Celeste Duchac Turner

Read by Jennifer Greer
In memory of Jesse David, Jamie Caroline, Jacob Evan Greer

"Memories of Brilea Celeste Duchac Turner
September 13, 2002 - November 29, 2002
Estimated birthday June 6, 2003

A faint pink line on a little stick announced your presence,
An unexpected but miraculous surprise,
I welcomed you into my life
And I fell in love.

Morning sickness, changing moods let me know you were with me,
Expected events, but still surprising,
I held you under my heart,
And love grew stronger.

My heart whispered to me I was carrying a tiny rosebud girl,
My body and soul smiled with the knowledge,
I prayed for you to bloom and grow.
And love grew stronger.

Days were brighter and nights no longer cold, long and lonely,
A tiny little being was creating light in my life.
Thoughts of you made me want to survive.
And love grew stronger.

With each passing day hope soared higher and higher,
Looking forward to holding you close,
Safe in my arms, my sweet daughter.
And love grew stronger.

I whispered and made plans with a small, unseen baby,
And I found you a gown for you to wear home,
Tiny pink hat, Pooh Bear and flowers.
And love grew stronger.

On a cold, fall night in the Hotel-Dieu Grace,
I had my first glimpse of your beautiful face,
A tiny heart beat beneath mine,
And love grew stronger.

Despite all the hopes, dreams, plans and prayers,
I knew it was time that we were to part,
I was losing a piece of my heart.
And love grew stronger.

We were now separate beings our lives torn apart,
I sang lullabies and whispered my love
To a perfect little girl born too soon.
And love grew stronger.

Counting ten little fingers and ten little toes,
I then gazed at the lovely face
Of a far , far too small rose.
And love grew stronger.

I never held you in my arms you were too tiny,
I held you in the palm of my hand
And forever in my heart.
I miss you.

And love grows stronger.

A piece of our future is missing.

Parents, David and Vicki
Siblings, Ashlea, Brian, Kevin, Rebecca and Steven"

Vicki and her family live in Tennessee. She is a SHARE Atlanta member via the website. She wrote, “I love the chosen theme for the Memorial program. My children and I spent many pleasant hours under the spell of Dr. Seuss.

'The Significance of You'

Polly Keen
In memory of Elijah Thomas, Autumn Bray, Frances Grace, Sarah Elizabeth, Samuel Brown and Jeremiah Davis Keen

"You were but a whisper on the wind.
Your presence so brief.
You weren’t measured in years or months, just weeks.
My heart searched for the significance of you.

I looked for answers to questions most don’t ask.
When did you become?
I knew when you were no more.
When did your soul and body meet?

I read you were knitted together in my womb.
I remember my grandmother knitting lace.
Delicate threads brought together into one,
A pattern set from the beginning.
I thought of your chromosomes joining inside of me,
A fragile lace of life.
Your pattern set from the beginning.
Is this where your soul and body met?
What is the eternal significance of you?

Your grandparents didn’t know you,
Nor your uncles or aunts.
You aren’t counted as a cousin.
You found no significance in this circle closest to us.
How can there be significance to you in this life?

But time moves on.
It doesn’t wait on my questions or my grief.
I think of how you would want me to be after your brief presence.
I know you would want me
Better, not bitter
A healer, not wounded
A comforter, not lost in my grief.

So I try to do the things to become the person you would want me to be.
The person I want to be so others can know the significance of you.
For significance comes not in length of days,
But in how things have changed because of your presence.

Time moves on, Years pass by.
Your dad and I help create a garden,
An Angel with “Hope” on its wings,
A place. Formed from your dad’s heart,
For he wanted to meet the needs of parents who were now where we used to be.

He planned for every detail.
He laid bricks with loving hands,
The hands that never held you,
Creating a place to help heal the broken hearts of others.

And then on a stormy October afternoon,
Gathered in the Angel Garden,
In a ceremony of remembrance,
Answers to my questions.
Spoken on the lips of the mothers and fathers
Broken by the grief of the loss of their child.
They speak words of healing, hope and peace
That they have found in a place,

A garden.
A garden that was made because of the significance of you.
In memory of Elijah Thomas, Autumn Bray, Frances Grace,
Sarah Elizabeth, Samuel Brown and Jeremiah Davis Keen"

Litany

70 names were called and each person received an angel mementos

Litany Program - written originally by Diane Campbell and modified for today by Marcia McGinnis - both SHARE Atlanta Mothers.

Ceremony during today’s Litany

The vessel placed before us symbolizes our hearts. When we conceived and when we lost our babies our hearts were flooded with emotions. Emotions of joy, happiness and wonderful dreams when we conceived, then emotions of grief, anger and extreme loss when our sweet baby died.

The water inside symbolizes the tears we each have cried. Some alone and some on the shoulders of our loved ones and friends. Our shared tears have become one tear for the many parents who suffer similar losses each day. The tears we shed gradually lead us to wisdom, strength, compassion and endurance.

One of God’s creations, the rose with its thorns and lovely colors and fragrance, is a symbol of beauty and pain. Today our rose petals symbolize the sweetness of our babies. The white petals are our babies so soft and pure who are here with us today in our hearts. The pink petals are the love we have for our babies and the yellow rose petals are for the growing peace that we wish to find as we heal.

During the litany, as you come to receive your angel memento, let’s join together in sharing the path toward peace as we place some rose petals in our vessel by the SHARE Atlanta Memorial Candle knowing that our special babies will be .. ...forever in our hearts..

Our substitute angel surrounded by our memorial candle: a vessel of water, symbolizing our hearts, flooded with emotion; and roses, symbolizing the sweetness of our babies and the pain of their loss and the hope for healing.

“Eternity”

by Mary Joe Hannaford

Miracles: Prayers and Poems by Mary Joe Hannaford

Pete Scholovich
In memory of Megan Elizabeth and Kathryn Ann Scholovich

"I believe that I AM
There is no end of me
I shall go on.

I do not want to die
Because I do not like
To experience separation.
But I shall go on...

..My self expression will change
I will not need my body
To communicate who I AM
But to lose my body
Does not mean
I shall lose myself.

For who I AM
Will always be."

Balloon Release

20 balloons were released by 20 parents, grandparents, godmothers, siblings....

Pete, Hayden, Pat, Maria, Karen, and Christie

We wish you hope, peace, and healing.

"The clouds cleared briefly for some parents to visit the real Angel to scatter rose petals and leave mementos in the garden.

“Thank yous” We thank Maureen David and Arlington Memorial Park. We thank all of our SHARE Atlanta volunteers who work year round to fulfill our mission, and those members who participated today. Together, we continue our outreach and support to those who experienced a pregnancy or newborn loss. Marcia McGinnis, President and Co-founder of SHARE Atlanta

Before or after the service: SHARE Atlanta volunteers are here for you if you wish support.

Please sign our guest book.

SA's Memorials since '97 Menu