Where hugs live on

These pieces of fabric became a living tribute to our sweet Daphne Jean thanks to all the people walking alongside us.

Dozens – if not hundreds – of messages and names are held in the fibers of these sweet quilts.

When planning Daphne’s celebration of life, we were asked about a “guest book” (how silly, in some ways). I knew I wanted to find a way to commemorate those who came and hugged us that day, but pieces of paper felt so disingenuous. Turning to Connor I said, “what about her prayer quilt?”

The pink and green prayer quilt was gifted to Daphne from our church when she was born. Admittedly, it spent most of its time draped on the back of the corduroy armchair in our living room, until it was given a greater purpose.

But then I had no idea what to do with these special quilts. I didn’t want to pack them up. But I also didn’t want them draped on the furniture.

I grew up in a home full of thrifted items and antiques. Something I remembered my parents always having was a quilt rack that was home to all our living room blankets – and if I remember correctly, it had heart cut-outs (right, Mom?). Just like the shelf that hangs in our living room with Daphne’s photos, her ring sling, pacifier and embroidered name sweater.

And now, I have my own quilt rack with hearts cut out on the side to hold my heart angel’s celebration of life quilts. And every time we walk past her bedroom door on our way to ours, we can see all those hugs in written form.

Daphne’s nursery door has remained open.

I know other loss parents find opening the door to their baby’s room painful, but for me it was painful to think about closing it. It still is. Daphne isn’t a chapter I’ll ever close.

She’s woven so intrinsically into every fiber of my being, just as the names are marked so permanently in the fibers of these quilts.