Guest Blog – Forget Me Not

Today was the annual “Forget Me Not Service” of Celebration and Remembrance organised by the N.I. Children’s Hospice.

Last year I wrote a blog post about this service, which you can read here

It’s my 3rd most popular blog post.

This year I will let Georgie’s Mum Oana give you her perspective on the event:

Mama's Haven

This afternoon, we attended the annual Forget Me Notservice organised by the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice for the first time.

It was as emotional and raw and sweet and consoling as we had expected.

We cried and we remembered our precious children and we smiled at the memories we had made with them in the hospice.

Collective grief. Collective mourning. Collective beauty rising from the ashes of loss…

We heard about love that transcends death and time and makes a way for our emotions to find our lost beloved babes.

The pain of grief was compared to the thorn and the forget me not flower.

Grief is and forever will be for every parent and relative present there a painful reminder of what we have lost and also the ultimate indicator of how much we have loved.

Sorrow and sweetness, amalgamated in one.

Pain and endurance, blended together.

Coming…

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Chicken Fried Rice

Chicken fried rice – it was Leah’s favourite dish. When she got an A in her 11+ she went with one of her best friends from school and her friend’s parents to the local Chinese Restaurant in Ballykelly to celebrate and had chicken fried rice.
When she had her bone marrow transplant she had severe mucositis and became unable even to tolerate nasogastric feeds and was fed directly into her bloodstream via TPN. Leah couldn’t wait till she would be well enough to eat her favourite foods again.
Weeks after her transplant the day finally came and she was allowed out of hospital to SAMs House for a few hours in between doses of intravenous medication.

I was dispatched to the local Co-op supermarket for the fixings for chicken fried rice. Leah was so appreciative and said it was one of the tastiest meals she ever had. Several weeks later before we left Bristol, the embargo on take away food was lifted and Leah enjoyed chicken fried rice from the Chinese take away near SAMs House as well.
Tonight my eldest daughter asked me to make her chicken fried rice and my heart sank, knowing how emotional this would be. I love each of my children and want to nurture them, so of course I said yes. It’s hard to cook through a veil of tears.
When it was cooked we all had some. My eldest said it was lovely.
It’s another ‘first’ – another milestone along the way – another remembrance of Leah.

She carved her name on our hearts

I went into Leah’s bedroom today and turned over her both her calendars and they are each so true – Leah carved her name on our hearts and she died full of faith and assurance of having her sins forgiven and a place in heaven………