Day 2: Identity

Their identities?  My sons and daughters 

My identity?  Their mama

Capture Your Grief - Day 1: Sunrise

 CarleyMarie is the kind and brilliant mind behind The CAPTURE YOUR GRIEF Photographic Challenge for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month – October 2013.  If you visit her site you can see some of her inspiring writing and photography:

.Last year this event was a beautiful success with over 2000 people from the Baby Loss Community around the world taking part, many of which said the project had made a very moving and profound impact on their lives.

Capture Your Grief is a 31 Day Photograph Challenge. You can take part each day or pick and choose your days. Throughout the month there is a daily subject/topic for you to concentrate on. You are invited to share a photo that captures your journey with each daily subject. You may use an old photo or you can take a brand new one. It is completely up to you. All you will need is the internet and a camera (if you wish to take new photos). It doesn’t have to be some big fancy DSLR – a phone camera or a pocket digital camera will be perfect. Just make sure you only use your own photographs – don’t take someone else’s off the internet, this is your journey, not google’s!  

Below are the 31 daily subjects for the 2013 event. Some of the subjects may not entirely relate to you, or you may not feel comfortable with the subject so you are more than welcome to take a photo inspired by your own subject for that day. (See, it is all about makes you feel comfortable!) If you are looking for inspiration for another subject you can always have a look at the list from last year. My subjects are simply a guideline. Below are also a few extra ideas to spark some inspiration in your own heart.

Wishing everyone a beautiful, heart warming and healing October!

1. Sunrise: Just like last year, I thought it would be very meaningful for us all to capture the beginning of this journey and important month by us all getting up early to photograph the sunrise from wherever we are in the world. I know depending on where you are and what climate you are in that there may not be a sunrise, but if you can still get to a window, snap a photo of the morning. When you share your photo online make sure you write what State/Country you are in and the time of the sunrise. It will be a wonderful way for us all to feel connected.

Here are a few sunrise photos I snapped with my cell phone this morning (around 7 am in Minnesota):

May 4, 2013 - Two Years Later

I don't have many words this year ... the memory of learning our sweet baby's heart beat was no longer beating during a routine ultrasound two years ago still haunts me ... the less than kind treatment by the first hospital still causes me fear and suffering ... the comforting and gentle love I received at the second hospital (thanks to my doula Sherokee) and from Resurrection Cemetery continue to rescue me ... the blessing of other moms who have walked this horrible road and shared their stories with me continues to uplift me and help me move forward.  I will never "move on", I will never "just forget" the babies I did not get to hold here on earth ... but I try every day to make them proud of their mama and the way I am living for them and their earthly siblings.