In the six months since our son Haris passed I have shed a lot of tears. Most of them have been the reflection of a gut-wrenching sadness I would wish on no one.
But over the last week, as friends, family and complete strangers rallied to support Team Haris in the March for Babies, I’ve been shedding a different kind of tears.
It began with Pauline (a.k.a. @aspiringmama), author of the poignant blog Aspiring Mama, who first urged us to start the team and then became its’ greatest champion.
It’s hard to find a reason not to participate in the March of Dimes’ March for Babies. The event is all about working to help give babies a more welcome entry into the world – what could be a more noble cause than that???
As a walker, it’s good for your health. As a sponsor, it’s tax deductible. And if those are not reasons enough – how about a shot at seeing @aspiringmama’s infamous Mexi-fro on display?
For Haris ….
Exactly one year ago today I was on a mad hunt for more decorations to squeeze around the streamers and Elmo balloons already attached to every possible spot in our living room for Haris’ first birthday party. I grabbed a bag of blue-wrapped “1st birthday” candy, a few extra balloons and an adorable Elmo candle for the table.
Today we are preparing for a different kind of celebration. We’ve got candles and flowers – but no cake and only one balloon.
Earlier today I was happily tweeting away about Metallica when things took a sharp right turn into a parallel dimension. The result? My muse and one other, that of Wendy (a.k.a Sparrowbug), are locked into a cage match. Two muses enter … one leaves …
The challenge? Post around 500 words of our current works in progress (WIP) written within the last week.
Wendy’s entry – a YA that might end up being horror – can be found here.
(…. and as a last minute challenge, Pauline a.k.a. @aspiringmama is going to enter the fray ….)
My WIP is a narrative nonfiction survival guide for parents, caregivers and supporters of ill or special needs kids currently titled Born into Battle: Surviving and Thriving Amidst a Child’s Complex Medical Situation.
Continue reading Muse Cage Match: Born into Battle (excerpt)