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| 2009 Butterfly Release - Thanks! |
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| Written by Corinne O'Flynn | |
 Thank you to everyone who was able to be a part of the 2nd Annual RTF Butterfly Release and Summer Remembrance Event this past Saturday, June 27th, 2009. On behalf of our board and volunteers at RTF, I'd like to express our gratitude for allowing us to remember and honor your children with you in this way.We were blessed with another glorious Colorado morning. Clear blue skies and birds chirping in the trees that surround the memorial plaza in the summer. The field around the memorial looked so different this year compared to last as we have had the most incredibly wet and stormy Springtime this year. As a result the wildflowers were not yet blooming, and the field was more grassy than full of growth. This spring, we had a pair of stone benches built for our memorial. This was the first time that many people saw them, and how beautifully they complete the memorial plaza. We decorated the memorial walls this year with pink and red rose petals - they were lovely! Several families brought flowers or other keepsakes and placed them on the walls during the memorial program. The new batch of engraved memorial tiles were also newly installed the night before, and this was the first chance for everyone to see them as well. Guests arrived at the Angel Memorial at 8:00am to music playing. Upon checking in, everyone received an event program and their own butterfly, who was waiting patiently inside a little paper envelope! When the music ended, I made a few announcements about the morning's program. I then said a few words about the grief and mourning that come with losing a child. I spoke to the anecdote that time heals, and how it really is not the case. How Grief Work is the only path toward healing, and gathering together at events like our Butterfly Release is an important part of that work. The knowledge that none of us is alone in this, even when we are experiencing that incredible isolation that comes with this loss, can do much to soothe an aching heart. 125 beautiful monarch butterflies were released into the sunny Colorado sky that morning! Looking at all of these pictures,I can't help but note the changes in the faces of all the people as the giant monarch butterflies are released. It is such a beautiful thing to watch a butterfly, and the symbolism is unmistakable... there is peace, and joy. There is a small bit of healing. Afterward, we all met at the Pinery Country Club for breakfast and relaxing on the patio. It was a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning. As always, this event along with all of our memorial events is free of charge to all who wish to attend. Donations are gratefully accepted. We took some lovely photos during our event this year that can say much more than any words to describe how lovely the day was. As always, if an image of you appears here and you would prefer that it did not, please let us know to remove it.
If you were able to attend our memorial event, we would love to hear your feedback !
If your child was included in the memorial and you did not attend, send us your street address to have a program mailed to you.
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to have them included in our gallery! Click on the thumbnails to enlarge the images. Photos courtesy of Jerilyn Elder, www.yourstoriesyourway.com
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