| | ... And for us.
On Saturday I went to the grocery store and bought several pink balloons, cupcakes, donuts and the like. I lost count of how many times people asked, "Oh, so whose birthday is it?" or " What is the special occasion?" to which I replied, " Just for fun." or "No special occasion." It always elicited a look of surprise. I would have given the same look. But why do we have to have a reason to do the special things? Why do we wait all year to make some special memories when we can do it today. Now.
 
Sheye Rosemeyer is an amazing photographer in Australia. She and her family experienced one of the most tragic losses I can think of... her little 3 year old Ava died nearly 3 years ago. I remember this rocking the international photographer community. I don't know Sheye, but I had a brand new baby girl when she lost her baby girl. I remember crying about it while living in Berlin, my heart breaking at the very THOUGHT of that kind of pain and loss. I couldn't even fathom what the actual pain of that loss could possible feel like. Since then, I have followed Sheye's blog and she shares with all of us what the journey through that pain and out of is has been like.
 
Saturday would have been Ava's 6th birthday. In honor of her memory, Sheye's family decided to have an annual Super Princess Tea Party, complete with cupcakes, strawberry milk and all things pink. She blogged about it and invited us all to join them, from the comfort of our own tea sets, living rooms and yards around the world. They would be so honored and blessed to hear about the little tea parties going on around the world because of their Ava, she said. But she said something else that hit me in the heart... she talked about having our tea parties not just in memory of Ava, but to make our own precious memories with our own kids "just because."
 
I read this and kinda teared up and thought it was nice, but I didn't know Ava, so it would be weird having a tea party for her with the girls. Then it dawned on me that this would be a tea party for US. Sheye wanted US to make our own memories while they were making theirs in remembrance of Ava. And then I say back and tried to think of the last time, the only time? I had done something like this with the girls... just for fun. I couldn't think of one time. And I was ashamed.
  
So they dressed up in play dresses, we decorated and I took lots of pictures to share with Sheye. Sydney had her first cupcake and Adelaide discovered her love for icing. In fact, Adelaide came up with the brilliant idea to trade her half eaten cupcake, with every ounce of icing licked off, for Sydney's icing-covered cupcake. Fair trade? Not hardly. We pulled out a teeny tiny china tea set and used the strawberry milk to fill up the teeny tea cups. And everyone left with a sugar high. :)
 
 
Thank you, Sheye, for sharing your pain and grief, but also your joy and hope as well. Thank you for reminding us what is important. What is lasting. Birthday tea parties are wonderful. But "just because" tea parties are even better.
 
  
Cheers to Ava and for her memory spurring us on to make our own memories with those we love and cherish! Blessings to the Rosemeyer family as they continue to live and hope and journey on without Ava with them in person.
  
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| | Posted 8/25/2009 10:58 AM - 36 Views - 6 eProps - 4 comments
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