SHARE Atlanta Pregnancy and Newborn Loss Grief Support

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SHARE Atlanta's Memorial Service..A Safe Haven for Bereaved Families..
Are friends and family members invited?
Are young children invited?
How do you include our younger children?

SHARE Atlanta's Memorial Service is an hour of parent poems and thoughts with music and a spoken litany. It is a time of remembering and sharing our special babies. Family and friends are invited to join us.

For many parents, it might be the only memorial service they will have. While for others, it allows for another time of peaceful reflection and comfort. Sometimes it is the first time that extended family and friends have shared with the parents since the death of their child. We honor this time and cherish the beauty of remembrance.

SHARE Atlanta's board realizes the importance of family and friends. They understand the need for healing time together. We also love our older children and our subsequent children. We think it is very important for our other children to know the love we feel for our special babies. These little ones will always be part of who we are and who our family is.

For SA's Angel Memorial program we ask:

"For the comfort of our newly bereaved parents, we ask that you leave your young children with someone they love. Children 9 or older who can be attentive during an hour long program are welcome."

Many of our parents have no living children and have just experienced a loss. Being with little ones would make this program very difficult for them. We know, that as time passes, other children will no longer be so hard to be around. We want this program to be a safe haven for bereaved parents and their friends and family. We want them to find comfort and support during this service.

At many events in life, little children are a joy to be with. If children become restless, it is fine. In these places, the focus is not on the bereaved. At some programs for the bereaved, young children are welcomed. But, at SA's Angel Garden Memorial service, we are focused on providing support for the hurting and healing parents. Again, many of our parents have no living children. Those more parents further down the road of healing bring much comfort to those more newly bereaved. We know that an important fact is: if the parents can heal, the children, of the present and in the future, will be supported.

When there is an interest, we hold family reunions. At these gatherings, ALL children are invited. We have time together as families who have been through this experience. Subsequent children as well as those older children are invited. We celebrate them and remember and honor their precious siblings. During these times, we often have an activity that remembers their sibling. It has proven just right for our other children. If there is an interest and a host family, we can have a reunion at any time.

Also, I suggest visiting the Angel Garden with your other children. My children loved the ducks at the big pond. Many times we would take a picnic there and spend an afternoon. A visit by the angel and releasing balloons or leaving flowers or a memento are very special ways for our other children to know how much we love our precious babies. Of course, there are ways, at home, that open the door for safe times to remember as well.

SA's Sibling Grief Menu Supporting our other children

SA tries very hard to make our various gatherings "safe" and meaningful for all. We believe that the newly bereaved need time alone with their thoughts and their babies. Time where a tiny face of another living child will not bring tears of sadness. For others, it is a quiet time of renewal and remembering. So, we thank our members for honoring this request during our Angel Garden Memorial Service.

Marcia McGinnis, 9.2011
The love stays..forever in our hearts.

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