I have had a task hanging over my head for nearly a year and a half now. Yes it has been 18 months. I am not sure how I have survived without her. One of the things that kept me going was all of the cards, goodies and notes on the porch. The sheer number of cards we received at the service and in the mail was overwhelming. There was nearly 200. I remember opening about 50 and having to stop. I couldn’t take another well intentioned attempt to comfort me. My daughter was dead and no card was going to change that. The cards were a part of the flood of care and love we received that literally kept me breathing. But the cards have been neatly sitting, unopened in a basket. I was starting to feel ashamed. Ashamed that someone took the time to write me a card but I couldn’t open it. I found an idea on Pinterest on how to display those cards. Today I finally sat down, and opened every single card. I read them all. I reread the ones that had been opened. It is unbelievable the love and care that jumped off those pages. I felt like I should send a thank you note for each card. This is my way to say thank you. Thank you to everyone that has been so supportive. I may not show gratitude but the only thing I am grateful for is all of the love and support I have received.
I loved how everyone really got her. They called her funny, strong willed and sassy (her teachers). People knew how kind she was. The memories she left with so many is amazing considering how short her life was. So I honored those cards by taking a little piece of them and making a piece of art. It is not 100% done, I am adding a vinyl cut out on the lower right of the glass frame that says #belikehayley. But here are photos, maybe you will recognize your card. Just know that I recognized the emotion that was in every card. I absorbed it today. It was both painful and uplifting. I choked down the emotion. Some days you can’t let it roll off of you, you must choke it down. Today was one of those days. I have something beautiful that is a piece of all of you to hang on my wall. Thank you.
