A friend of mine contacted me a couple of weeks ago. She had had the most awful thing happen to her: she'd had an early-term miscarriage.
After initially dealing with this awful disappointment, she decided that it would make her feel better to have the baby's short life remembered in some way, so that she would still feel close to her. She asked me if I would be willing to make a shadow box for her and to include a few items that were unique to her baby: the sonogram photo, a small crocheted blankie, the meaning of the baby's name, and a beautiful poem that described the feelings one might experience after having such a loss. She didn't want it to be depressing; she wanted it to be very baby-girl-ish and cheerful. I did the best I could to create a respectful, not-too-somber shadow box.
The shadow box itself is a 12x16 inch shadow box, leaving plenty of room for the various items that she wanted to be included.
(I have blocked out the last name of the family to maintain their privacy.)
The poem that she asked me to include is from Susan Erling.
Just Those Few Weeks
A poem by Susan Erling
For those few weeks—
I had you to myself.
And that seems to short a time
To be changed so profoundly.
In those few weeks—
I came to know you…
And to love you.
You came to trust me with your life.
Oh, what a life I had planned for you!
Just those few weeks—
When I lost you,
I lost a lifetime of hopes, plans
Dreams, and aspirations…
A slice of my future simply vanished overnight.
Just those few weeks—
It wasn’t enough time to convince others how special and important you were.
How odd, a truly unique person has recently died
And no one is mourning the passing.
Just a mere few weeks—
And no “normal” person would cry all night over a tiny, unfinished baby, or get depressed and
Withdraw day after endless day.
No one would, so why am I?
You were just those few weeks, my little one,
You darted in and out of my life too quickly.
But it seems that’s all the time you needed
To make my life so much richer and give me
A small glimpse of eternity.
I challenged myself to create something totally unique, something that I'd never done before. I utilized my Cricut and my home printer in addition to my stamping techniques, and I think the combination of all three really creates something distinctive. I can't imagine the tragic and sudden loss a mother must inevitably go through during a time like this, but I hope this cheerful piece helps her to deal with the awful loss, and to remember that God has a reason for everything He does.
The only reason that I even am sharing this story is that, while tragic, this is something that occurs frequently. I myself have had three friends go through this horror, so I know it is something that, unfortunately, can be quite common. It occurs to me that someone else might want to have something like this done, maybe not to commemorate a miscarriage, but to celebrate a life in a respectful, meaningful, and unique way.
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