Frequently I drive by a house in town which has a large wooden cutout angel in front with a beautiful lattice border around it. On the angel is a female's name. It is not clear whether this name is a daughter, sister, friend, wife or mother but what is clear is she is a very special person to someone or many someones in that house.
That got me wondering. Why is the angel displayed so publicly? Is it in remembrance of that person or is it to remind others that this family is still suffering her loss?
Ever think about these public displays of grief and grieving? I think in some ways we all do it. I have photographs of Eli & Wyatt displayed proudly in my living room. We hang their stockings at Christmas. Their names are included on our family signs hung in the house. I have their names engraved on a ring along with my daughters' names and I wear that constantly. I don't hide them to make others more comfortable nor do I parade them out to display my losses. I have simply woven them into my life. But on some level I think some of it comes from a desire to have others recognize that I am not who I used to be and that the grief of those losses has profoundly changed me. I need for them to remember, not necessarily for my sons', but for me.
