Jean Gabriel

When my daughter, Arwen, passed away after just 11 days, my heart was shattered. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her or wonder what life would be like if she were here with me today.  

I stumbled on this post on social media about grief:

“They said grief is like a stone and you carry it in your pocket and you’ll always notice it. You’ll feel it. You know it’s there. But as time goes on, you get stronger and as you get stronger it is not that the stone goes away it’s just that it gets lighter. So it’s lighter to carry, but it doesn't mean it’s going away. You didn’t move on. You didn’t have to get over it. It doesn’t disappear. It doesn’t get smaller. It stays the same. You just get stronger, so the stone gets lighter. You didn’t have to let go of it. You didn’t have to forget about it and that it would always be there. But just as you grow and as you strengthen and as you become more resilient it becomes lighter and it doesn’t weigh on you in the same way as the heavy feeling of grief can be in the beginning.”

When I first joined March of Dimes in 2008, it helped me navigate with grief of losing my daughter. Along the way, I've met so many incredible moms and dads - and most of all, the strongest, most resilient babies! I's also been fortunate to be supported by an amazing team at March of Dimes, which is one of the many reasons I continue to come back year after year. 

Please consider supporting Team Arwen - together, we can make a difference for moms and babies everywhere! 

#GoTeamARWEN 

https://www.marchforbabies.org/Babyarwen