October 15 Reflections

We are only a few weeks from October 15, the day set aside for National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. It’s a day to remember, to come together, and to hope in the Word.

Before I had experienced loss of my own, I had no idea that October 15 existed. Perhaps I had heard it mentioned before then, but it was certainly not something that I had given much thought to. I was completely unaware of how often pregnancy and infant loss occurred. It felt unreal from the outside looking in. Sure baby loss  doesn’t happen now! We are living in the age of modern medicine!

When my son passed away in my womb, everything changed. Suddenly my reality was flooded with the stories of other women who had said goodbye to their babies too soon. I scoured the internet and read voraciously of others who had experienced the same thing. As I shared my story publicly with friends and family, many women stepped forward to share their own stories with me

I could not believe how many women I knew had experienced baby loss themselves. And yet, many of their stories had been kept in silence for years. As we shared together of the deep pain that comes from the death of a child and clung to hope we have in Christ that one day our sorrow and suffering will be undone, I wondered why miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss are such a hidden reality. Why do we feel as though they cannot be spoken of? How is it that so many people are unaware that one in four pregnancies end in sorrow?

When it seems as though no one understands the great pain we carry with us in the absence of our precious little ones, October 15 reminds us that we are not alone. We stand together to remember these gone-too-soon babies.

We mark this day to say that we will always remember.

It may feel like the rest of the world has moved on and forgotten the losses that has forever changed our lives, but we remember.

Some of us may have experienced the blessing of other babies born after loss, but still, we remember.

There have been other joys and griefs that have left their mark on our hearts, but our love for our babies remains.

On October 15, we can flood the skies together with remembrance—or we can choose another way to remember (i.e. lighting candles, a family ice cream outing, a donation made, etc.). And we can look on social media using the hashtag #HopeMommiesOct15 and see that we are not alone as we read Hope Mom and Hope Family posts from around the country.

If you purchased a Hope Mommies t-shirt or candle this year, we would love to see pictures! Let’s stand together this October 15 as we declare that we remember.

Ashlee is the Editorial Coordinator for Hope Mommies and author of their I AM, Identity, and Sojourn Bible studies. She and her husband, Jesse, live in Milwaukee with their children—five on earth and two in heaven.

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