Her mother's grave

Last Sunday we took Hailey to see her Mom's new grave marker. 
She asked that I not put her actual grave on my blog so of course I won't.

The day was so special and I want her to remember it when she is older 
and I'm hoping these pictures will help. 

Chickie bought some tulips and just as we were walking out the door, 
Hailey saw me carrying them and asked if she could hold them in the car.
 Of course!

Once we arrived at the cemetery, Hailey could not get out of the car fast enough.
She walked with such determination and focus.

We could barely keep up with her.


She wasn't even sure which way to go, but she did not want to slow down. 
She just pressed forward ahead.

She was on a mission to feel close to her Mom.

She had the flowers, she had the glitter. 
She was anxious to make her Mom's grave pretty.

After placing the tulips gently beside her Mom's grave, she sprinkled glitter all over it.
She stared at it for a few moments, then she took off with Elora....
walking side by side all over the cemetery.


The girls would stop a little and notice other graves and even 
found some Moms who also had to leave their young children. 


But for the most part, they kept walking and talking in very quiet reverent tones.

If you look really close you can see the two girls walking between those 2 middle trees.


It was not giggly girlie talk as they had been doing since they arrived together on Friday.

Side by side, trying to figure out life and death together.

They walked and talked nearly an hour like this.

As sweet of an Easter as it was, it was also hard. 
I know Hailey misses her Mom terribly and it breaks our hearts that we can't fix this for her.

6 comments:

Karen Mortensen said...

What a sweet and heart-felt post. I am sure Robin is smiling down on Hailey for the flowers and glitter.

Susan Rozier said...

This was very tender and heart rending. So glad you were there to record their experience. We were there Saturday and Robin's headstone is very very nice. The cemetary seems to be a sacred place and that must have been felt by Elora and Hailey as evidenced by their quiet talking and serious demeanor. Thanks for sharing. Dad and Susan

Tamara said...

Someday she will look back and thank you for all your understanding.

Anonymous said...

Oh, so sad. Thanks for memorializing this for us all, Jill. Very nice.
darlene

Susan Anderson said...

Their friendship is so touching and beautiful to me.

=)

Darlene said...

It must be hard for Hailey. I do feel so sorry for her. It can be awe inspiring to walk through a graveyard, but I will always remember what my mom said to me just a few days before she died. Because she was burried in a very small cemetary in a very small farming community in Idaho, she knew that it would be very far for us to visit, so she told me, "Don't feel you have to be there to decorate my grave, because you know, dear, that I won't be there. That is just my body, but I will be with you always in spirit." And you know, she was so right!! I was 36 years old when she died and in five days I will be 85! I still feel my mother's spirit with me every day of my life and I think of her and visit with her every day too. It's funny, in a way, I am already three years older than she was when she died. But she was right, her spirit wasn't in that grave. Having said that, whenever we are in Salt Lake, we try to take a visit to Lund, Idaho, which is just across the divide from Lava Hot Springs just to see that beautiful awe inspiring cemetary that they keep looking so beautiful. Losing a parent is hard, not matter what one's age.

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