Alexis Marie Chute, Speaker at Walk to Remember, Edmonton 2012
I have accepted the honor of being the keynote speaker at Walk to Remember this year, which will be held in Edmonton at the end of September. When I got the call from one of the organizers asking me to speak, my first reaction was one of overwhelming gratitude and humility. Walk to Remember has played an important role in my life since I lost my son and even prior. My first time attending, back in 2010, I was only two weeks shy of losing Zachary. I was 28 weeks pregnant and round, carrying my ever present grief very physically within me. My husband and I knew what was coming for our son; it was only a matter of time. A beautiful yet sad women approached me and said, “You must be so happy to be pregnant again,” as she lay a longing hand on my stomach. “Actually,”...
Read MoreQuoting the wise Christopher Robin
To quote Christopher Robin: “You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” Christopher Robin is a pretty wise kid. On the last day of summer before school was to resume, he bestowed these words upon his good friend Winnie the Pooh. He also added: “But the most important thing is, even if we are apart, I’ll always be with you.” These words came from the Disney book Pooh’s Grand Adventure, The Search for Christopher Robin by A. A. Milne. When I was reading these words aloud last night to my daughter before bed they spoke to me, almost as if they came to me alone from a little boy I imagine may share many sweet qualities with the beloved character in this story. I miss my Zachary yet try to imagine him happy, pain...
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