Today was our pregnancy loss support group's annual picnic & memorial butterfly release, in a park on the Toronto waterfront. Desite the heat & humidity, and the threat of thunderstorms, there were several hundred people there, including many friends & former clients of our group. I overheard someone saying that we released almost 300 monarch butterflies.
This was the group's 8th butterfly release (the picnic has been around several years longer), & dh & I have been to all of them. It's a very emotional ceremony. I haven't cried in recent years, but this time I did. As we opened our little box & watched our monarch spread its wings & fly out of sight, I thought about our Katie. I thought about the 10 years that have gone by. I thought about the friends who couldn't be there & the babies they'd lost, and the cyberfriends I've made, including one whose sister-in-law is currently in the hospital, fighting to keep her 24-weeks twins inside for a few more precious days or weeks.
This is the poem that was read prior to the release (copies were handed out). It's attibuted to Jill Haley:
As you release this butterfly in honour of me,
Know that I'm with you and will always be.
Hold a hand, say a prayer,
Close your eyes and see me there.
Although you may feel a bit torn apart,
Please know that I'll be forever in your heart.
Now fly away butterfly as high as you can go,
I'm right there with you more than you know.
How beautiful and sad. Beautiful in its simplicity and power, sad that you have something to commemorate.
ReplyDeleteI see our babies everywhere - in birds, in butterflies, all living things that are graceful and beautiful. I do love the idea of having a release party, though. You can release a lot of emotions with that beautiful butterfly. Thank you for sharing.
Ten years, I can imagine it would be more emotional for you. Add to that the fact that you started blogging about Katie's death since the last picnic (as far as I know).
ReplyDeleteMaybe your released butterflies are the first ones in CA for the summer!
What a beautiful ritual to remember Katie and all the other babies. I hope the tears were followed by a sense of peace.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful event. Sending lots of hugs your way.
ReplyDeleteBoth the photo and the poem tug at my heart.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very beautiful ritual.
Thanks - and thinking of you and Katie and Mr. LoriBeth
ReplyDeleteThat was so beautiful, so poignant, it brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing. I'll never look at a butterfly and not think of you and what it represents.
ReplyDeleteThat must have been such a touching ceremony. Thinking of you and your Katie.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful idea...10 years...I imagine you must be reliving what happened 10 years ago even more because of the significance of 10 years.
ReplyDeletethis is so beautiful. how meaningful it must be to have such a tangible ritual to commemorate katie. thanks for sharing.
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