Shining through the Sorrow

In case you haven't heard, Gabriel's Walk and 5K - which was to be held this Saturday - had  to be cancelled. It's hard to say why we had such a severe lack of interest this year. Maybe because we changed the month. Maybe because we changed the time. But the painfully honest truth is that as Gabriel's mom, it just feels like no one cares about my son anymore. The overwhelming compassion and love that has been extended to us is starting to fade after four years. He's no longer on people's minds. His short life is no longer something people remember. So an event that brought 80-100 people the past three years only brought in 23 people this year. It was a huge smack in the face, but I guess it should be expected... I can at least say this - Those of you who registered, those few companies who were going to sponsor us this year, and those of you who met us at Gabriel's gravesite to celebrate his Angelversary for his 4th Heavenly Birthday: You are holding a very ...

Last night we celebrated my son's 4th Heavenly Birthday, or as we like to call it - his Angelversary.  Family and friends took time out of their busy days to remember my son, a truly amazing gift to us.  We sang happy birthday, wrote messages on balloons, and then released them to float up to Heaven.  My hubby and I both said a few words, and I wrote out beforehand everything I wanted to say this year. So, lucky readers, you get to hear it... There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of Gabriel.  It's not always a conscious thought like, "I wonder what he'd be doing if he were here," but there is always a feeling.  A small tug on my heart.  A gaping hole somewhere within my soul.  A constant knowing that someone very special is missing. It seems so crazy that so much time has gone by, that the precious infant I held - with my nose and daddy's lips - would be a four year old little man today. On this day, I will take a moment to think a...