a story of compassion for the broken hearted

"On June 10th 1991, my life was "forever changed". It was on that day that I was given one of the most precious gifts that anyone could ever be given. A baby girl. And not just any baby girl - but exactly what I had "ordered", what I had prayed for. All 8.8 lbs of her came into this world with all ten fingers and all ten toes. In addition, she also had the blue eyes and blonde hair that I had dreamt of. She was perfect - absolutely beyond perfect.

  December 20th 2008, and my life was once more forever changed. That beautiful, vivacious, wonderful young woman left this world ........... and just as I was 17 years earlier when she took her first breath, I was with her and holding her when she took her very last breath. It truly was an honor and a privilege to be that person."

those words are written by amy,

my sweet friend who introduced herself via my blog.

her emily was a stunning beautiful blond,

just like her mama.

her life a testimony to the love from her family

& her own love for jesus.

a life ending too soon...

i often times think of amy.

she was on my heart the other day, being so close to mother's day

i wondered how her heart was doing.

let me tell you how her heart is doing...

a few days ago, Jalia , the manager ( if you will) of our Noonday artisan group in uganda

posted the following image

& the following:

friends pray for nalongo,(lady standing on the right) on friday 6th april she lost her 7 year old daughter. she got sick at 6pm, Daniel and I rushed her to hospital, at 5am on good Friday she passed. Doctors say she had tetanus, please Pray for courage, and strength as most of us here are in sock. nalongo has not stopped crying since .

i posted the prayer request on my facebook timeline

& quickly heard from amy

she wanted to do "something" to show support for nalongo.

i explained to her that nalongo was part of our group in uganda

& any of the pieces purchased would

support her group.

a little while later i came back to my computer

to see she had purchased not one, but several products

from our uganda group,

one of which was the Happy Day necklace

 

& here's a little of what she sent me:

"oh paige! i feel as if i am the one who is being blessed here......to know her grief and to be able to reach out in some small way and let her know that i care - even though we are a world apart. i stopped the minute i read your facebook update and prayed for her right here at my desk that God would shower her with the grace that will sustain her through each and every day of her life until she is reunited with her sweet girl.... while i do not believe in coincidences....the very first item i already had in my cart was the happy day necklace. it was the one i had in mind to get from the first time i saw it through your blog. "

i sat there with tears in my eyes.

watching one mom reach out across the globe

& stand with compassion

unifying their hearts

& their grief for the loss of their baby girls. 

obviously jewelry doesn't heal the unmeasurable hole in the hearts

of either of them

but amy did something.

she prayed for this mama.

she reached out symbolically to love on nalongo 

& i know she will continue to pray for her.

& one day, amy will see her emily again

& while i don't know what it will all look like

or how it all works,

i like to think she'll see that baby girl from uganda

whose mama she prayed for.

i immediately went & ordered that same yellow necklace

made of paper beads

& while i don't know if nalongo actually had her sweet hands on the actual piece i ordered.
in my heart 

i like to think that she did.

& i'll too wear my yellow necklace

a paper bead necklace

that will forever symbolize the kindness of one tender hearted mama

towards another broken hearted mama

the symbol in my heart of compassion....

i have teased ya'll with a few photos of savannah & her best girlfriends wearing 

some of my Noonday pieces 

& i will share them all very soon ,  pinky promise!

this image is of Mckinley

wearing a few of the pieces my sweet amy purchased to support the uganda group.

 

thank you amy for allowing me the privilege

of sharing your story.

i love it when our stories collide

bittersweet when through tears.