SHARE Atlanta - Grief Support

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Annual Candlelighting ~ Festival of Trees ~

Foster Care Donatiions ~ Online Holiday Candlelighting

Dear All,

Our October, November, and December calendar is SHARE Atlanta's effort to offer parents some options as the holidays approach. We have the Women's Candlelighting November 17 and the Festival of Trees coming in December. Here is a summary of all of the activities that we have available with more thoughts on the holiday season toward the end of my update.

"Forever in Our Hearts" ~ Memorial Service Highlights...

October closed with our annual SHARE Atlanta memorial celebration on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We had about 150 guests attend and were blessed with up lifting music, parent written readings for healing, a reading of our babies' names, and bubbles and balloons gracing the sky! For an online copy of our program...

2005 Memorial Service..click on candle

"Little Stars...Forever in Our Hearts" ~ Festival of Trees Memorial Tree - Nov. 19 and 29th

The Festival of Trees committee has been working on coordinating the beautiful Boyd Bear Tree Topper with the theme. They (Suzanne Chezem, Tammy White, Julie Franklin, Allison Egger, and Jennifer Nulty) have decided on tiny, twinkling white lights, small white angel bears, small silver and gold colored mememory boxes, and a star shaped, burgundy and cream tree skirt. The colors will be white, silver, gold and cream & burgundy (our group's colors). The tree skirt is being made by a friend of Tammys.

A special addition this year will be stars that hold our baby's name. For example, each small star will have "Baby Ann" (or your baby's name) on it. So be sure to include a card with your baby's name on it with your ornament so we can put a star on our tree with your child's name on it.

We have already received some beautiful ornaments in memory of our special babies for our memorial tree. The committee (and anyone who wishes to join us) is meeting on the 19th to gather these treasures together and work the miracle of creating our memorial tree.

You can still participate by bringing or sending an ornament to SHARE Atlanta by the 16th. Please include a card with your child's name on it so it will be on the written litany -online and on a handout that will be available in the Gingerbread House near the tree display at the Festival of Trees.

If you would like to join us in the actual decorating of the tree on November 29th at 1 pm until we are finished, please let me know. For more information and for a colored picture of our tree topper...

Festival of Trees Menu..click on candle for more information

"Forever in Our Hearts" ~ Women's Candlelighting - November 16 at 7 pm.

Our babies and the outreach from woman to woman are the focus of the gathering. Mothers and loved ones who have attended our candlelighting in years past have shared that they had no idea how much love and support could be shared in one evening together. Many of our past members come and share bits of their journey of healing. For more information about the evening (bringing finger foods and candles with candle holders is an option for our guests)..

2005 Candlelighting..click on candle

Valerie Scholovich, our Foster Care Shelter Donation coordinator, will be gathering, at the candlelighting, any items that you might wish to bring for the Foster Care Shelter holiday needs. She has designed a holiday memento for you to have for your donation in memory of your baby. Last year our members helped to make the holidays more special for numerous children in foster care homes.

Foster Care Shelter Menu..click on candle

Here is a poem that touches on the meaning of our candlelighting gathering. We hope you will join us.

Light One Candle

Light one candle, take my hand
Move closer to each other,
All who so want to smile again,
In this blessed time of year,
With your sorrow and tears
Come together to remember
and to light one candle.

The light is for strength to face
The pain welled up inside
The light reminds us of shattered dreams
Not to be denied.
The light is for courage to beckon,
Others to our side.

For every tear we've cried&
We light one candle.
We all know the reason
That we value so this flame.
It's a commitment to each other,
To remember every name.

And a promise made that
In our hearts forever they'll remain
Out of love, we came to light one candle.

James Nelson in memory of David Daniel

Our Fall Newsletter has more details and pictures...

The Holidays...

After a loss, the holidays present much confusion and pain for most parents and families. Many SHARE Atlanta members have shared and written suggestions about how to protect ourselves at this time. Changed routines can bring much peace to couples who find the traditional family oriented events very overwhelming.

There will be other years that you can gradually return to those traditions and family events that are special for you from the past. Usually, that first year or two we need to hold close to those memories and moments that we are capable of dealing with and no more.

Our website and written information at our candlelighting offer supportive suggestions for these times. Expecting too much from yourselves is a common situation for our parents.

Regrouping and being understanding of the need to do so can help ease parents through the holidays. Often, we create new traditions along our path.

Online Options for the Holidays:

SHARE Atlanta online supportive information for the holidays.

- SHARE Atlanta's online Holiday Memorial Candlelighting page to honor your baby.

Our thoughts will be with each of you as they always are. I hope that some of these options will help you continue your progress toward healing. Together we work toward healing...

Take care,

Marcia and SHARE Atlanta parent volunteers