Knitting Passion

This column is a departure from my normal sunny and funny and punny disposition.

If you’ve been reading here you know that I have been working on grannies for a project that Shelly came up with - to blanket 140 kids with cancer at Camp Sanguinity this year.

I check her site pretty much daily to see the new squares sent in and to read a bit about her life down there in Texas. Yesterday she posted about one of the other granny suppliers - Thorne - and a loss she had suffered in her family.

Thorne’s new grandbaby would be 6 months old today. But, Thorne and her daughter and son-in-law . . . her entire family . . . is missing their little Pharaoh today. He unexpectedly “simply stopped breathing” last week.

Please go over and offer your condolences to this family.

We lost a little grandboy 7 years ago - he was 9 days shy of turning 2 years old. Because of his age the police keep the case open - they will not call it SIDS. They will not even call it SUDS (Sudden Unexplained Death) although both are documented reasons for such a death at his age.

The fact that the police hold the case open does not really matter to us anymore. It was a horrific time to live through due to a LOT of family dynamics with the added stuff of the police being involved because of some of the outside family dynamics.

But what REALLY matters is the gaping hole Jacey’s loss has left in our hearts. He was a red haired little charmer and I miss him still.

The last picture taken of him and his two brothers was done at a K-Mart studio - the background chosen (for some unexplicable reason) shows a shooting star - the starburst is directly above Jacey. His daddy puts a lot of stock in that.

I say take your comfort where you can find it. If it helps to think that is God’s light shining on your child, then look toward that Light and praise Him for the comfort.

You know, Grammas and Nanas have really strong hearts - really full and loving hearts - but sometimes those hearts just break with the sadness of it all. Please go and give Thorne some love today. I know that she could use a virtual hug - even from folks she might not know.

It’s those hugs and expressions of love that get you through from one minute to the next.

The pain - it never truly goes away. It just changes over time. Soon you remember the good things more than you remember the loss. Soon the hole in your heart just grows scabbed over. I envision my scab with a picture of Jacey on it. And, that makes my heart swell a bit and my smile to come a bit more easily.
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One other thing I would like to add - there is a request for money to help the family. Please - if you can, drop something into the pot to help. I canNOT tell you of the amazing expenses that are involved in the death of a child. They are many.

So many people helped my daughter and her family after Jacey died. So many helped my other daughter after her husband died. One person even brought PAPER products to help. You know, the things you run out of because you have forgotten to go to the store because you just can’t even THINK about it? Yeah, toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates and napkins and plastic ware so we wouldn’t have to wash dishes. What a blessing!!!

thank you all.

Thorne, Pharaoh, loss of a child