Seeing Red: For One of Our Own

I snapped a quick photo as my dear Friend Benita called us all to prayer. We stood, a group of 30 women, united by the power of the Sisterhood. We held red balloons, bobbing and swaying in the wind. We were gathered in beautiful Amish Ohio to scrapbook. We were gathered in support of one of our own. Most of us have never met her.

She took her son in to the doctor in late September when he wasn't eating. Last week, he had emergency surgery in an attempt to remove a tumor on his brain stem. He slipped into a coma and was removed from life support over the weekend. His service of remembrance was this morning. He was 5.

After the prayer, we released red balloons in his memory. The balloons rose into the air in a cloudy sky, moving toward the light. 4 other children received the gift of life as his organs were donated. We released those balloons and we wept with grief for a woman most of us have never met. We wept for our sister and her family. Quite a few of us phoned home and instructed those caring for our kids to hold them tight.

Today, I wear red in honor of Danny and his family. I will never, ever see a red balloon in the same way again.

Lots of my sisters are blogging about this.

http://changgang1.blogspot.com/2008/10/taking-flight.html

http://themartinchronicle.blogspot.com/2008/10/seeing-red-today.html

http://blog.havadrpepper.com/2008/10/color-red.html

http://openabigolcanofcrazy.blogspot.com/2008/10/tragic-loss.html

http://mom2jwo.blogspot.com/2008/10/today-not-tomorrow.html

http://bandhasbecomemylife.blogspot.com/2008/10/in-honor-of-donann.html

http://empress4.blogspot.com/

http://cntrycathy.blogspot.com/2008/10/honoring-little-danny-tritten.html

http://themasonfamily.livejournal.com/822.html

http://calisramblings.blogspot.com/2008/10/day-to-honor-and-say-goodbye.html