Wave of Light- Pumpkin Style!

The Wave of Light is the annual event on October 15 that honors and remembers the babies lost to pregnancy loss, still birth, and infant loss. October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Awareness Month and I have participated in multiple things this month to remember Sawyer, and reflect on the memories and time we had with him. When I realized that October 15 was an event that you all could participate in and help us with my creative wheels started turning. I posted my ideas in the original Wave of Light post. I won't lie that I had my apprehensions about how many people would actually participate. I am sure many of you can relate that when you put an idea out there you have ideas of who will participate, but you aren't even sure if those expectations will be met. My expectations were MORE than met, and Josh and I were completely floored by everyone who participated. 

Some of you were only able to light a candle, and some were able to carve a pumpkin. However you participated, we are SO thankful that you did take part in not only remembering our Sawyer, but all of the other babies gone much too soon. I have taken the pictures and tried to merge them together in to collages. I know there are some repeats, but I think it would be safe to say that I had close to 75 people participate. That is absolutely incredibly, and I am speechless. I spent the first 30 minutes of that hour trying to post my pictures, but my phone was BLOWING up from people sending me pictures and the notifications on Facebook and Instagram. Many of my students participated and were so excited to tell me about their pumpkins the next day at school.

I am posting the pictures here in order to have them for my blog book at the end of the year. If you don't see your pumpkin and/or candle, please let me know so I can add it to this post!

                                      

Thank you so much everyone!

Until next time,

Ashlyn

Wave of Light

I know, I know - I said I would be posting my ideas for October 15 a while back, and I am just now getting around to it. Life has been busy! Between teaching, moving, and my Masters program I have had little "free" time. 

The move went great and we are still working on getting unpacked - it is weird to see your whole life in boxes. Some people have asked about the house. It is a 4 bedroom, 2 bath ranch with a HUGE backyard - our 2 dogs are in love! 

Now, on to my idea. October is infant and pregnancy awareness month, but October 15 was chosen as the specific day of rememberance. This is a day when all parents (all over the world) who have lost a child can come together and be supported by each other and their families. The tradition has been to light a candle at 7 PM and let it burn for one hour. With families across the world participating in this it makes a continual "wave of light" for 24 hours. I think it would be awesome to have all of our family and friends participating in this - with our own little spin. Most of you might not remember how we made our Facebook pregnancy announcement, but we used pumpkins: 

We also used pumpkins for our engagement announcement a few years back:

Notice a theme? We love pumpkins and both of the announcements were made in October! Since it is October and they are in season, I would love if everyone would carve a pumpkin, light their candle, and let it burn in the pumpkin for one hour (7PM - 8PM) on the night of October 15. Also, if you can, take a picture of your family with your pumpkin and lit candle and send it to me! At the end of the year I am going to make a blog book with all of my posts from this year, and I would love to have a post with all of the pictures from everyone who lit a candle in rememberance of Sawyer and all other little ones gone too soon. Even if you can't light your candle in a pumpkin you can still participate - light the candle in whatever way you can!

I am so thankful to have wonderful friends and family who are willing to participate in something like this. It makes me happy to know you are thinking of my sweet boy and support Josh and I as we go through this grieving process. I have some more blog posts coming up - as soon as I get some boxes unpacked :). I am participating in something called Capture Your Grief - a 30 day photo challenge with each day being a different focus. I will make a post of those at the end of the month, but I have enjoyed sharing my Sawyer with people through pictures. 

I hope you all can participate on October 15 - and if you want to send me your family pciture with your pumpkin let me know and I will send you my email address! 

Until next time,

Ashlyn