Gifts for Christmas Mourning

So it is that time of year again...the time when my mind drifts back to 4 years ago, when my emotions are near the surface, when I wear my heart on my sleeve and where I feel the urge to tell and retell our story and to share Cole's name with everyone.  How can it possibly be almost 4 years???
Last year I decided to try having a project to focus on, a goal of finding ways to blog through my emotions and focus on the healing.  So I choose to take on each theme of advent and blog each day on that theme. I shared my project with everyone but really did it for myself.
This year I remembered just how many angel days happen in December... I am pretty sure that I can list 12 or more families that celebrate the loss of one or both of their babies at a time when they should be buying Christmas presents in pairs. 

And so I decided to create a project to encourage others to search their life and their hearts for the things that can turn this season that often is so hard for those of us grieving a lost loved one, especially a child into a season about the gifts that no one can put a price on. And of course, I am going to do this too.
The format will somewhat follow the themes of advent... Hope, Love, Joy and Peace but will have some subthemes to focus on too....there will be a gift word for each day to focus on.
I am encouraging those who want to participate to post whatever comes to mind or relates for them... a picture, a song, a quote, a memory, a blog entry....whatever they feel most connected to.
I have started a facebook group... http://www.facebook.com/events/462035380509253/ for this project and am asking people to add their gift word thoughts, photo etc. to the wall of this group and be sure to post on their own wall too so that others can see how you are finding your 'Gifts for Christmas Mourning".

Although this project began with the thoughts of other TTTS families it is, in no way, only for them.  It is for anyone who finds this time of year hard or misses someone.  Hopefully together we can see the gifts the world has for us, see the gifts that our loved ones have given us even though they aren't here.

Themes and dates are as follows 

 December
1 Hope
2 Support
3 Inspiration
4 Words
5 Light
6 Love
7 Affection
8 Kindness
9 Family
10 Friends
11 Joy
12 Blessings
13 Memories
14 Admiration
15 music
16 Encouragement
17 Appreciation
18 Service
19 honesty
20 Peace
21 Solitude
22 comfort
23 compassion
24 honour
25 acceptance