We would like to begin this post by acknowledging that faith is a deeply personal aspect of many individuals lives, or not, and it comes in many different shapes and sizes. It can bring great joy, freedom, and a sense of meaning and being part of something bigger than oneself. It also, unfortunately, can be triggering, isolating, and ostracizing for individuals for a variety of complex reasons. We by no means want to perpetuate anything painful. However, faith is an important part of our donor’s lived experience and in honor of her mother, she wishes to share a tiny glimpse of what it has meant to her.
Faith was something that was deeply personal to Nana that she also freely and lovingly shared with her family and friends. She could often be found carrying around her Bible, writing down passages of scripture and listening to inspirational speakers, or retreating to her room for time spent in prayer. She would talk about her faith with an intensity and light in her eyes, and a smile on her face. She always spoke with love and excitement and anticipation of one day joining God in Heaven.
Losing Nana to an unexpected heart attack was a crushing, devastating, and confusing experience for her family, including our donor. At 32 weeks pregnant, she sat in a funeral home with her father, siblings, and her husband, amongst caskets, at a time she had imagined setting up their baby’s nursery. She assembled photos of her mother and their family, ordered flowers, and worked with her father and siblings to write Nana’s obituary and plan her funeral mass.
This earth shattering experience was made livable only by the fact that our donor knew her mother’s excitement for Heaven was akin to her anticipation of her first grandchild. (Not to mention the unfailing support of her husband, family, community, and the kind, loving words that poured in from anyone who had ever met Nana.)
Nana believed and lived Mark 12:30-31, part of which we would like to highlight here: “You shall [unselfishly] love your neighbor as yourself.”
Boxes of Love for Mom is a living, loving memorial for a woman who brought so much love and light into this world. With every box that is lovingly and uniquely put together, we hope to continue to share Nana’s light with as many new mothers as we can possibly reach.