Celebrating our little boy

Last Saturday, we attended the fourth annual butterfly release, which is sponsored by the local hospital where Ryan was treated. After last year's horrible experience of receiving an already-dead butterfly to release, I was initially apprehensive to go this year. But, I didn't want last year's memory to put a damper on our yearly tradition, which is about Ryan and not me, so I put those bad feelings aside and instead celebrated the memory of our sweet little boy.

We, as parents with empty arms, couldn't have asked for a more perfect day to gather and honor our lost babies. There's something soothing about being surrounded by others who understand the sadness that's permanently taken hold of our heavy hearts. As we looked at the other families in attendance, we knew that they, too, had lost a precious baby. Some were heart babies, like Ryan, while others came too soon for their time.

We cried. We prayed. And, then we released our little butterfly and watched as he flitted up into the heavens.