Wave of Light 2016

Dear friends and family, 

It's that time of year again. In remembrance of our beloved Louie, we're inviting you to light a candle (or send "light" thoughts/prayers) from 7pm-8pm in your local time zone.  October 15 is infant & pregnancy loss remembrance day and observed through the international wave of light.  

It's hard to believe that this will be our 3rd Wave of Light since the darkest days of Mar 2014.  We have met many more parents along the way who are also forced on this journey of grief and loss. While we are no longer in the early, raw days, we are grateful that you continue to walk with us.  Death is an awkward and lonely experience and yet we know there are so many who surround us. 

As some of you who might know, Louie's "spirit animal" is the lobster. It came from his nickname in utero. Little did we know that we'd hold on to every little memory (even the ones that were supposed to be temporary).  

Here's Alexis holding her little lobster in honor of big brother.  Thanks for remembering our little guy with us tomorrow.  We miss him every day. 

$1 for Alexis's 1st birthday

Our little Alexis is turning 1 on Sept 14.  We are so grateful for her every day and cherish her as the "dawn" that came after the darkness.  She's the brightest of lights.  I mean...look at this face!!!

We wanted to celebrate her 1st year and my 37th with a joint September birthday campaign for access to clean water. This isn't the first time we've raised money for water and it's unlikely the last.  This issue has been near and dear to my heart as it's such a basic need and disproportionately impacts women and children. 

In lieu of any 1st year gifts, we're inviting friends and family to donate $1 to Charity Water (100% of donations go directly to the water project).  Big brother, Louie, has a well in Ethiopia in his honor and we're excited to celebrate Lexi's big birthday milestone in a similar way.  

We'll be MATCHING donations dollar for dollar up to our goal. 

Our 3 goals:

• $3701 (37 years for me and 1 for Lexi)
• 75 friends donating
• 1 pay-it-forward campaign: donating your birthdays to the team

Click here to donate.  

Love,

Yeh-Chiang Gang

Visiting Home Away from Home

We recently came back from a summer vacation to Boston & New Haven.  While the destinations may seem ordinary compared to our other travel stories, a "normal" visit feels welcome given our recent months and years. 

Here are some of our East Coast highlights:

Meeting Emma & Maddie!  

Lobster bake with a toast to Louie

(old Trowbridge roommies reunited)

July 4th in Boston: I love everything about it - the bbqs, the Pops, the walk along Mass Ave with the crowds, the fireworks, the river. 

(Uncle Jeff and his captive audience)

Life is starting to feel "normal" again and a more familiar self is coming back with it.  I have the emotional bandwidth to do more than survive and it feels really good.  

We have made it past a few milestones since W's mom passed away (her birthday, W's birthday, Mother's Day, etc.)  The first year is the hardest as there are there are so many unexpected (and expected) grief triggers.  

As we've continue to process our losses and hear about recent, crazy tragedies as a nation, I'm grateful for a bit of ordinary.  

A bedtime story for Louie

Happy 2nd birthday! I miss you every day, little buddy. Just as expected for the first-born, you now have to share my time with your younger sister and we've learned to adjust to new family dynamics.  Sometimes the world doesn't understand what it's like to balance loving 2 children, when one is no longer here. But I think it's just like how everyone does parenting to 2 living children...you make it up as you go along. I will always try my best in loving you.

Lately at home, we read bedtime stories at night as a routine before sleeping. It's one of my favorite parts of the day. When I didn't know the exact words to share for your birthday, I remembered a book that your aunt & uncle gave me.

This bedtime story belongs to you. Sleep peacefully, my love. 

 

---

Wherever you go, my love will find you

By Nancy Tillman

I wanted you more than you ever will know

so I sent love to follow wherever you go.

It’s high as you wish it. It’s quick as an elf.

You’ll never outgrow it…it stretches itself!

So climb any mountain… climb up to the sky!

My love will find you. My love can fly!

Make a big splash! Go out on a limb!

My love will find you. My love can swim!

It never gets lost, never fades, never ends…

if you’re working… or playing… or sitting with friends.

You can dance ’til you’re dizzy… paint ’til you’re blue…

There’s no place, not one, that my love can’t find you.

And if someday you’re lonely, or someday you’re sad,

or you strike out at baseball, or think you’ve been bad…

just lift up your face, feel the wind in your hair.

That’s me, my sweet baby, my love is right there.

In the green of the grass…in the smell of the sea…

in the clouds floating by…at the top of a tree…

in the sound crickets make at the end of the day…

"You are loved. You are loved. You are loved,” they all say.

My love is so high, and so wide and so deep,

it’s always right there, even when you’re asleep.

So hold your head high and don’t be afraid

to march to the front of your own parade.

If you’re still my small babe or you’re all the way grown,

my promise to you is you’re never alone.

You are my angel, my darling, my star…

and my love will find you, wherever you are.

You are loved.