You are not alone

Tonight Bri and I decided to head to a Selah concert spur of the moment (we found out about it this weekend). As in, the concert was in a town about an hour away and we decided an hour and a half before it started. I had gotten their new CD for Christmas, and really wanted to see them in person. Bri obliged me, we made it there with 10 minutes to spare and snagged two folding chairs along the wall of a packed house. We were just enjoying the music, and then Todd Smith mentioned that his wife was going to speak. Can I tell you how excited I got that I would get to hear from Angie?

When Angie stepped onto the stage my emotions were already starting to churn. I knew she was going to share Audrey with us, and I always feel blessed when another mother gets to recognize her little one. Tears started pouring as she recounted their story and I got caught up in a tangle of emotions for their Audrey and our Ethan. She said something that struck me. That Audrey had weight, and she mattered (she put it more eloquently, but I think you understand). It was so nice to hear words iterated that I feel so deeply. She then asked all the mothers who has suffered a pregnancy or early child loss to stand up. Honestly, the number of women who stood up were staggering to me. She said what I so desperately needed to hear tonight: "You are not alone". I get frustrated sometimes, because this kind of loss is such an isolating thing and not something everyone understands. Seeing tangibly others who have lost was overwhelming and comforting at the same time. We are not alone.

That visual reminder will stick with me for a long time. I'm so glad we were able to go and experience the music and testimony!