One month ago today...

...Hayden went to Heaven. It's been a very difficult month...For all of us! I created a Memorial Website for Hayden Isac Parsons. It's a work in progress, but wanted to share with everyone. Just click on his name to be taken to the website. If you would like to visit and light a candle or share your thoughts, that would be wonderful - thank you!

In the meantime, I've been working on Apple Blossom items for the babies here at Winchester Medical Center NICU. Apple Blossom will be here April 23rd! The town is starting to look very festive in the pink, white and green colors! And Val Kilmer will be the Grand Marshall of the parade! I usually leave that weekend, but think I might stick around this year! Maybe one year I will make it to the Queen's Ball. Oh to get dressed up and feel like a Princess! hahaha :)

Happy Easter to our Angel Hayden in Heaven.....

Today, Mommy and Daddy, Pappy, Me-Maw, Nana, and GG all gathered at Hayden's home to write our Easter wishes and thoughts to Hayden in Heaven. We decorated them with Easter stickers and Cars. We tied them to balloons and set them off to the wind to be carried to Heaven. One set got caught in the tree, but Hayden's Pappy worked so hard to get them free and off they flew too!

Happy Easter to our beautiful little Angel, Hayden, in Heaven! We all love you and miss you so very much!

Happy Easter

To all my family and friends - Happy Easter! And a special Happy Easter to Hayden! I hope you are having fun in Heaven with Jesus on this Easter holiday! Nana loves you and misses you a bunch! ^i^

Compassionate Friends

Thanks to Monsignor Richard Murphy of St. John's Catholic Church in Frederick, MD., he gave me the name of this wonderful organization called Compassionate Friends. This organization helps parents and grandparents that lose children. After spending alot of time today talking and sharing my story of Hayden, I have signed up to do a walk on July 4th, 2010 in Memory of Hayden. Walk to Remember. This link takes you to my pledge page. If you can donate a dollar or more, it will be greatly appreciated. Our team is called "Team Angel Hayden Parsons"!!! All funds go to help families in need for grief counseling...myself included! I know that I am not alone, but it is truly comforting to know that other grandparents are helping people like myself with the losses we share. Maybe one day I can help a grandma with her loss and I was helped with mine!

A Special Poem

This poem was given to me by a friend.

I'll lend you for a little while
A child of Mine, He said.
For you to love him while he lives
And mourn for when he's gone.
It may be 2 or 3 years, or it may be
Twenty-two or three.
But will you, till I call him back
Take care of him for Me?
He'll bring his wit to gladden you,
And should his stay be brief,
You'll have his memories as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay,
Since all from earth return
But there are lessons taught down there
I want this child to learn.
I've looked the wide world over,
In search of teachers true
And from the crowds that throng life's way
I have selected you.
Now will you give him all your love,
And think it not in vain,
Nor hate Me when I come to call
And take him back again?
I fancied that I heard them say,
Dear Lord, Thy will be done
For all the joy Thy Child shall bring
The risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter him with tenderness,
We'll love him while we may
And for the happiness we've known
Forever grateful stay...
But should the angels call him back
Much sooner than we've planned
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes
And try to UNDERSTAND.

Torrance Harvey

Goodnight, Sweet Hayden....

Nana loves you and misses you oh so much!

Hayden's Celebration of Life

Today is the day we have all been dreading to come. To say goodbye to Hayden. To celebrate his life and remember ALL the fun, smiles, and happy times this little guy gave to all of us. It was a beautiful service. Father Andy Aaron spoke along with another Minister the family invited to speak. We later met at Baker Heights Fire Department, near Martinsburg, WV to eat and share more memories. Another day I hated to see end, as much as I hated to see it get here. Because now we all go our own ways to grieve and deal with the loss of Hayden. To wait for answers to many questions. Some we may get, some we may never get. If you want to look at more pictures of the service before it began, please check out the Picasa link on the right side.

Hayden is being cremated. The family wants everyone to remember him the way he was before he went into the hospital, not how he was when he left to go to Heaven. It was hard for us to see him, very hard. Hence the reason for ALL the pictures and we had more at the reception too!

Thank you so much to EVERYONE for all your love, support, cards, gifts, prayers, thoughts - EVERYTHING to help all of us thru this difficult time. We were all praying he would be back home with us. But I guess God needed Hayden more and took away his pain and suffering. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything. ^i^

A poem to share by a friend who shared it with me:


The Broken Chain

We little knew that morning that God

Was going to call your name.

In life we loved you dearly,

In death we do the same.

It broke our hearts to lose you,

You did not go alone;

For part of us went with you,

The day God called you home.

You left us peaceful memories,

Your love is still our guide;

And though we can not see you,

You are always at our side.

Our family chain is broken,

And nothing seems the same;

But as God calls us one by one,

THE CHAIN will link again.