Grief is a funny thing. Not ha ha funny, obviously, but in the way it impacts us. My loyal readers know that I am no stranger to grief, having lost my own daughter one year ago on the 12th. So when this absolutely mindblowing and incomprehensible act happened on the 14th, I was already in a place of remembering and mourning.
But I cannot even begin to imagine what it would feel like to send my Kindergartner to his school, in a community that has only had ONE murder in the last DECADE, a place that should have been perfectly safe, only for this to happen. My mind can’t even go there.
But I am not writing about Sandyhook today. (Sure does seem like it so far, doesn’t it?) I actually have been working on this post for a little while, and the timing is coincidental. But because of the impact of the 14th I have changed my approach and my schedule around a bit.
The TTTS Community is no stranger to loss and grief. We live it day in and day out. Sometimes we have great successes, sometimes terrible losses. Sometimes we are somewhere in between. We all handle our grief differently. As everyone seems to be inspired to do good in response to the horrific events of the 14th, I want to highlight some women who have already taken their grief and used it to do amazing things. While others stand still in their grief and loss, some give all their energy and efforts to make a difference.
This post is inspired by some of the strongest women I have ever come to know through this TTTS journey. All of the women I am highlighting are TTTS mothers. (Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome for anyone new.)
These women have inspired me with their absolute drive, compassion, love, and willingness to give to others when so much has been taken from them. They give me courage and strength. I hope they will also inspire you.
Since we have all had enough grief, loss, and sorrow to last us for awhile, for the next five weeks TTTS Tuesday is going to focus on what some of our TTTS Moms have been doing to better the lives of people around them.
Andrea, Meagan, Christina, Tova, Emily, and ReNee are only a few. I could talk about so many women, but I’d have to write a book!
I want to start with Andrea, because she has an ongoing project and needs your help. Please consider helping her with this project!
Andrea lost both of her identical twin girls to TTTS in mid September. She would have been having the babies sometime around now if the disease and preterm labor had not taken them. While some people would completely shut down or check out after a loss of this nature, that is not what Andrea has done.
Andrea has channeled her grief into doing something good for other mothers who are grieving through her collection of needed items and donations for a national nonprofit called “Molly Bears.” (They make bears the same weight as the infant you lost so that a mother may hold something in her empty arms.)
Andrea is collecting items for Molly Bears between now and December 31st. If you are on Facebook, you can find her event at the page “Teddy Bear Roundup in Memory of Alexa and Jackalyn Ross”
If you are not on Facebook and want to help, you can go to the Molly Bears webpage and give a donation as well.
On the Event page she states the following:
Please join me in collecting Bears of all shapes and sizes for Molly Bears. Molly Bears is an organization that makes custom weighted bears to send to families that have lost infants or young children. I’m collecting:
Bears of all shapes and sizes
Scrap fabric
Bows, Buttons, Thread or anything that can be used to customize an angel bear
and of course Money! (To be used toward shipping costs).
I’ll be collecting all through the month of December, please spread the word and message me for pickup!
This is such a wonderful and amazing tribute to her daughters, Jackalyn and Alexa.
I am sure they are so proud of their mother for helping other grieving mothers and honoring their short lives in such a magnificent way.
Love to all of you today and through this season. And if you are a grieving parent, you are not alone.
katbiggie
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[…] have gone on to do incredible things. You may remember my post about Andrea from a few months ago, While Others Stand Still. Andrea, despite suffering such a horrendous loss, organized a huge drive for donations of bears, […]