SHARE Atlanta's Garden Groundbreaking Ceremony on July 30, 2001 with pictures!!
Thanks to all who participated in yesterday's groundbreaking.
It was very nice to have Chris (the angel's benefactor) and her long-time childhood friend, Jeanette, Joe, (one of our parents and our design and landscape architect) and Maureen D. (longtime SHARE friend) join us.
Candlelighting, poems, and thoughts
We opened with a lighting of two candles on a "miniature" garden angel. This lighting is in our tradition of lighting candles in memory of our babies and for all children who have died.
We each shared where we live (we come from a wide range of areas around the state of GA and Chris, being from Singapore, had come the farthest!).
We spent a few moments talking about our title, "Taking On Wings." Parents have expressed that this brings thoughts of freedom of pain and grief as well as their little one being a precious angel. I feel as though our mission over the last 18 years continues to "take on wings" of its own in broadening outreach. Our healing has made our children's presence meaningful in how we continue in our lives.
We then read, "Miracles" with the miracle of our mission and of our babies in mind.
Decorated Shovels and Sweetening of the Earth
We all gathered in the garden to gently "break" the earth. As each person took their turn, they placed in the soil a slip of paper with a word they had written to express what the angel means to them. Words such as: honor, love, peace, hope, comfort, sanctuary, reunion, dream, outreach were shared. The decorated shovels for "breaking the ground" were wonderful! They were covered with ribbons and bows, and Chris had used her son's beanie-babies on her shovel. All were very festive!
We each had a different colored rose and as we passed by the turned soil, we gently laid some petals to “sweeten and prepare the earth” for our angel's new home.
Some thoughts, a toast
As we gathered by our bench, many of us placed our favorite flower in the benches' vase or on our babies' bricks. Several read or spoke some thoughts, and we read "Unbound." We toasted some champagne for the occasion and took some great pictures and a video. We will have the pictures up soon!
An "angel", a butterfly balloon, flowers laid on the path
We left a butterfly balloon that Jennifer had brought and the garden angel by our bench for all to see. Chris also “flowered” the path with beautiful flowers saying that when she visualizes the pathway she sees it "with beautiful flowers all along the way."
It was truly exciting to have 15 enthusiastic people join together to further prepare the way for our angel.
We are saving Valerie's incredible poem for later....
Angel Groundbreaking Pictures..click on hearts!
The Poems that we opened with and closed with.
Miracles
I wanted to be a part of
Unbound
Don’t let me be bound by my bodyBoth taken from: Miracles, Prayers and Poems by Mary Joe Hannaford
The Story of SA's Angel Garden & Memorial Bricks
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