What an amazing, transformative year for the Garden of the Sleeping Angels! When the Sawyer family moved to Huckleberry Farm in 1998, how could I have possibly known how my life-long career experience as a perinatal nurse would lead me to a fulfilling mission beyond description?
Our events in 2022 included our traditional plant sale in June and GSA’s participatory celebration in the worldwide October 15th Wave of Light (we lit over 200 candles)~both well attended by many individuals and families. In addition, our mission expanded to include providing a zoom group community series of meetings to offer healing support for those experiencing loss.
Now entering the holiday season, the gardens are transformed by hundreds of lights in the evergreen trees, plus our ‘babies’ Christmas tree’, adorned with ornaments provided by families who are missing their loved ones this holiday season.
Most rewarding for me are the private events created by those who recognize the GSA as a place not only to grieve, but also where they can come to celebrate lives gone too soon, and celebrate they did! Imagine, if you will, a cold, snowy day in January. Then add a family of two adults and their two children who came to remember a baby ~ not theirs, but a baby born still to a dear relative far away. While the adults hung ornaments to remember sweet Selah Veta, their two girls made angels in the snow. The family connected via cell phone with Selah’s parents (Lauren and Josh Walker) to enable them to be part of the celebration, all singing Happy Birthday and lighting a candle for Selah’s one-year heavenly birthday. Or a spring celebration planned in honor of Ellie DuCharme, as she would have been 8 years old on May 25th. Her family (parents, grandparents, cousins) remembered and joyfully celebrated with cake, the Happy Birthday song and release of butterflies…all here within the Garden of the Sleeping Angels.
Have you experienced loss this year? We’re becoming so much more aware that as we grieve the loss of loved ones, we may also grieve loss of health, loss of connection and loss of predictability in these often troubling times. Increased awareness has enabled us to open our peaceful gardens to all who simply need to feel a respite from the stress of current times. Complete strangers express an almost palpable sense of peace when they visit. We also note this year an increased awareness of our need for each other – to hear others’ stories; to recognize various stages and (ways) of coping with our grief and to share hope.
The GSA is a 501c organization. We have ongoing expenses for basic landscape planting and maintenance, garden decor, personalized memorial angels provided to parents, office supplies/printing, postal, website support, presentation of events, support and outreach, all of which are met through your donations. your donation of charitable financial help, time or simply with your voice through sharing of your belief in what we do contributes immeasurably to our capacity to serve.
In the coming year, we’re exploring how to broaden our organization’s impact by partnering with other non profits similar to ours in population served. We’re looking to Faith Lodge, BelliEVE, Star Legazy Foundation and Selah’s Heart to expand our healing services.
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