Feather Remember

About a month and a half ago, I got a sweet Facebook message from a friend of mine who I haven't seen in far too long. She knew this amazing artist who has started painting portraits for families who have lost babies, as a way of helping heal and remember these little ones we have yet to meet. I had never heard of doing this, but when she told me she was going to have a portrait done for us of Charis, I was just so thankful.

I take pictures, of everything, but Charis is the one of my babies who I was only able to take ultrasound pictures of. Not nearly enough, and I miss all the chances I would have had to see her sweet face in my camera lens. So when I realized I could have a visible reminder of her, thrilled doesn't really cover it.

I corresponded back and forth with Laura, the artist, and we both exchanged ideas and inspirations and chatted through what this would look like in my memory and heart coupled with her amazing artistic ability and interpretation. To say I'm thrilled with how it came out doesn't express it...I just cried and cried when I opened the package. It's fabulous...and does so much to help with the healing and the missing that we go through daily.

I told Laura how I pictured all my babies playing together, and that Charis's middle name is Eden, so it seemed fitting that they would be playing in an Eden-like garden. Paradise is the only home Charis has ever known. I imagine her showing her siblings around, and them all being so happy to finally meet each other, running wild like they do. My kids talk about her constantly, and I can't wait until they all see each other. I can't wait to see my twin baby girls together...wondering if they'll look just alike or different. Laura talked about the closeness, and love for each other, she saw in the photos I sent to her of my kids. So she offered to paint them all together in this portrait instead of just having Charis symbolized somehow. 

I think it turned out perfect. I love how they look just like themselves, and how we have a visible reminder of what we have to look forward to in the future. I love that Charis will be a part of all the art splashed on our living room walls that features these laughing kiddos. I am so grateful to the friends and the talent that made this happen, and how they let God use them to help heal and remember.

(Please go look up FeatherGreyStudio on instagram for a look at Laura's work. It's amazing and I definitely want to pass it on to others who may also know someone who needs help remembering and healing.)