Thanksgiving

[lainie]

It's Canadian Thankgiving this weekend.  Monday is the holiday.  It's a terrible empty feeling, having the first one without my Brynnie.  I just can't turn off the tears today.  I thought I was doing pretty well for the last few weeks, but now I have crashed.
I hate holidays, now.
Elaine  Brynnie's mom

[Penny - Sean's Mom]

There's no gentle way to say "Yup.  Holidays suck now."  I wish there was, but there's not.

What I can tell you tell you is that holidays get softer.  Really. 

My sister is in Langley, BC.  She's dealing with Thanksgiving and my niece's bday while also knowing that Sean's angel date is rapidly approaching.   I'm going up there next weekend to visit and while I'm really looking forward to it, I also know there will be tears.  I've decided that tears are okay.  It would be weird to not cry when you miss someone so close to your heart.

Wishing you peace...

Penny - Sean's Mom

[Rebecca]

Yup, Yup, the holidays are the worst.  Like I wrote b4 I just had my birthday and it sucked.  I do have many things to be thankful for but they seem to get to the bottom of the list without Jason.  All I can say to u is that I would be very surprised if someone was able to write that they like the holidays, unless their loss was over many, many, many, years ago and they figured out a way to live.
Rebecca Jason's Mom

[Dottie (Tammie's Mom)]

The Holidays are so very hard and lonely. I don't find it ever gets easier.

Sending HUGS your way,
Dottie Tammie's Mom

[Karen Paul]

Elaine - the holidays are very hard and the "firsts" of everything are so hard.. We have tried to work new traditions in to our holidays in remembrance of Christopher, like a candle lighting ceremony or just a little something to say his name together and remember him.. he was the only child in my immediate family.. so there are no others... it is very quiet without him..

I hope you can feel Brynn close by you this Thanksgiving... I'm sure she is as thankful to have you as her mom as you are to have her for your daughter..

luv and many hugs, Karen

[Katie--Adam's Mom]

((((Elaine))))

I am so very sorry that Brynn is not there with you for Thanksgiving...the holidays just plain suck without our kids.  Keeping you in my thoughts and wishing you moments of peace.

Love and hugs,
Katie

[Dena]

(((Elaine)))) - Those first holidays are beyond complicated - they are awful without our precious children. 

Try to find a way to remember Brynn at each holday.  We have a special candle that is only lit on holidays, birthdays and for our Angel Children.  That is how we remember Josh.

Love,
Dena, Josh's Mom

[Wadesmom]

Elaine,
  I understand the empty feeling. I'm so sorry. HOlidays, BD's, celebrations, family events of any sort seem to intensify our loss to another level.   "Missing" our child  is always present, yet these dates really seem to  kick a person in the backside and also in the heart/gut.
Like Dena, Josh's Mom- I also have a special candle that we light for occassions like this, I also have an "every day" type of candle or cluster of candles that I light- just because.

For Cmas time, my daughter selected camo. fabric (Wade enjoyed hunting and wore alot of camo. clothes) and she sealed the camo. fabric to the 6"x8" candle with soy wax. This candle was placed on a circular stand, then she decorated the base of the stand with artificial evergreen, snow covered  pine cones, a small scale fishing rod, bobber, and hook, a couple of small birds, and pheasant feathers . It's so Wade- and we light  this candle nightly around the holiday season.

Wade's BD is in March- the same size of candle was used, only this time his sister used his school colors for around the base of the candle, and filled in and around the green/white cloth, with all the snack foods that my son loved to consume.  It has  small sized gatoraide (cool blue) bottles, a hot pocket wrapper (ham and cheese), reese's peanut butter cups, little debbie snacks, snickers candy bars,  Twix, starbursts,   scattered (yet attached) around the base. People that knew Wade well know this is the  common junk foods that he regularly consumed-so When other people come over to our house and see this candle they always ask me  about it . It depends on the day Elaine,,, but  the memories are so very vivid and special to me. So it is tougher for me to relay to some people what this candle signifies to me.

Yes, Both of these candles are very unique and special to me, and I realize that each one of us is different and what may be special and helpful to me , may not be for someone else.
 
I just want you to know that I'm thinking of you- sending comfort and a gentle hug.

Wadesmom