Breakfast Television Tomorrow
In anticipation of International Bereaved Mother’s Day, I will be talking to Ryan Jespersen tomorrow morning on Breakfast Television on City TV in Edmonton. My segment will air at 8:30am. Please tune in for more info about the event and how you can join in the...
Read MoreMark your calendar: International Bereaved Mother’s Day, May 4, 2014
Mother’s Day is a beautiful celebration but for some it is a day of lament. When you baby has died, Mother’s Day can be an ache in your heart that refuses to abate. I feel it. It is the longing, the irrational search, the hope against all certainty. The love of a bereaved mother for her lost child will never fade nor be forgotten. It is this love that is unconquerable and lingers because of its strength. Bereaved Mother’s Day honours the women who are still mothers – even if their child or children are not with them. No matter how early you lost your child or the form of that loss, you are still a mother. Please believe these words. Do not think little of yourself, please do not blame yourself. International Bereaved Mother’s Day takes place on Sunday, May 4,...
Read MoreKeepsakes of our Loss
Before Zachary died, Aaron and I went to the funeral home that would be performing Zach’s cremation. We walked through a large room filled with wooden caskets. The sight made me nauseous; literally sick to my stomach. I kept my eyes on the floor, Aaron guiding me. We passed through that room into a tiny, closet-like space. There, on a low shelf, was a tiny collection of urns – for children. Regular urns, for adults, are similar to the average flower vase in size, whereas for children, their bones being much smaller, the urns are petite. I remember weeping, furious I would have to make such a decision as the container for my child. There were urns that looked like miniature versions of the adult containers but these felt so cold and impersonal. Aaron and I chose a...
Read MorePortraits of Healing in The Quiet Rebuild
Art can heal. It may sound corny but it’s true. The language of art is not like a spoken dialect; art touches the human heart through contrast, color, symbolism, metaphor and personal and creative expression. You don’t have to be an artist or even have a clue what I’m talking about for art to make a difference for you. I can help! If any of this resonates with you (or even sparks your curiosity), I am still looking for volunteers to participate in fine art portraits for my work, The Quiet Rebuild. This is an opportunity to share your story of love and loss and survival. Please get in touch if you are interested: info@alexismariechute.com You can read more about the project here on Wanted, Chosen, Planned – Portraits of Healing and you can...
Read MoreThree Minus One Anthology
The Three Minus One book will be released on April 19, 2014 by SheWrites Press. I am so thankful that one of my essays is included within this hugely meaningful anthology. My essay is called, “The Tiny Voice that Saved Me,” and is about the days following my son’s death. Description of Three Minus One: Three Minus One: Parents’ Stories of Love and Loss is a collection of intimate, soul-baring stories and artwork by parents who have lost a child to stillbirth, miscarriage, or neonatal death, inspired by the film Return to Zero. The loss of a child is unlike any other, and the impact that it has on the mother, the father, their family, and their friends is devastating—a shockwave of pain and guilt that spreads through their entire community. But the majority of...
Read MoreBaby Loss Quotes
Sometimes along the journey of loss we need a little help. Okay, that’s not totally true. Yes, help sometimes but also often, daily, minute by minute support… When no one is there to encourage you directly, here are some quotes that may help. “Out of these ashes, beauty will rise.” – Steven Curtis Chapman “It’s a happy life, but someone is missing. It’s a happy life, and someone is missing.” – Elizabeth McCracken, An Exact Replica of a Figment of my Imagination “If I had lost a leg, I would tell them, instead of a boy, no one would ever ask me if I was ‘over’ it. They would ask me how I was doing learning to walk without my leg. I was learning to walk and to breath and to live without Wade. And what I was learning is that it was never going...
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