Respite Retreat

Jeremy and I went to TN for the Respite Retreat. I'm going to write more about it soon. A lot to process. I will say, though, that we got a lot out of it as far as learning where we are in our grief individually and as a couple. I walked away feeling comforted that we are grieving just as we should be....and we've found that even if it doesn't seem like it sometimes....we do grieve with HOPE. As painful as it is to relive and recall our loss....day after day.....year after year....we can live through the pain with the hope of having Ayden back someday. We will hold him again, see him again, kiss and hug him again. We just have to get through our temporary home first. Over the weekend, I found renewed comfort in the fact that we didn't have to be concerned about where Ayden was going once he left this world. We KNOW without a doubt that he is in Heaven. We KNOW we will meet him again. We KNOW that all he knew in this life was absolute love, comfort, and joy. And for that, I am so thankful.

I'll write more about the retreat later. We met some awesome people with so many different, tough, painful stories. Yet although we all shared the pain of the loss of a child, we experienced immediate bonds through our loss. I highly recommend this retreat for anyone who has lost a child and just needs to better understand grief...especially the way we as Christians can find hope through our grief.