10.08.21 Post a picture of a Willow tree on your personal Facebook page

{I uploaded a video three years ago explaining this day on the calendar that I wanted to share again.

Take a moment to watch both videos as my heart swells today in memory of sweet Willow.}

4 year and 4 months ... wow ...

"Be Like The Willow tree, able to bend without breaking under the weight of the storms may come your way."

- Unknown

Sitting in my hospital bed, one day after we said goodbye to Willow, we were composing THE announcement for Facebook and when I simply googled “Willow QUOTES” to include in the announcement, a tan image with a willow tree and the above quote came up. How fitting for us and everything that had happened. This was the quote we used to tell hundreds of family and friends that our sweet Willow would not be returning home with us.

As we arrived home from Aultman Hospital, we walked into the nursery for the first time to see the beautifully hung tree decal in the corner above the rocking chair.

As we went to Generations Women's Health for our followup appointment, we noticed their logo ... another tree.

We went on a pontoon ride to get out of the house in the few weeks following delivery ... to turn the corner of the lake and see multiple Willow trees.

God works in ways we will never be able to comprehend. As we walked through the motions and had multiple gentle reminders like these, we knew that this was the path that was chosen for us. We don't understand God's will, but we trust His heart.

After the first year of the BeLikeTheWillow Movement, we went to make some deliveries of donations we had collected for Aultman Hospital.

Do you see that metal Willow tree hanging on the wall in the bottom left corner?

Here is a post from Facebook on November 3, 2017 that explains a little more the importance of this metal Willow tree.

"What an emotional morning. We had the pleasure of delivering all of the goodies from the #BeLikeTheWillow Movement that we collected in October to Aultman Hospital!!

From walking in to the labor and delivery floor for the first time since June, to the overwhelming amount of items that had been donated, to being in absolute awe that there was a gorgeous metal tree hanging on the wall in memory of our little Willow ... my heart was so full, I couldn’t help but stand there and cry.

Some of our nurses came to see us and so did Dr. Willard!! God has placed some pretty fantastic people in our lives. This team gave us strength ... compassion ... comfort ... respect ... and most of all, love.

We cannot say enough good things about our time at Aultman and the care we received. We are so humbled to have met you along the way, and we thank you for all that you did and continue to do.

Thanks to Melinda Wiles for organizing everything and thank you to the staff for “planting a willow tree” in a place that holds so many memories for us."

I could not believe the nurses went in together and donated that metal tree in memory of Willow! What a beautiful piece of art ... and how completely humbling that they hung it in memory of OUR daughter. They even had a plaque engraved with the quote on it.

The pictures above were both taken within hours of our daughter, Ruby (three years old now) and days of our son Oscar, (four months old now) being born.

The picture with Ruby was such an powerful moment for me. It was captured as we were being taken from recovery back to our room. What an emotional year it had been since we lost Willow only one year and eighteen days before that. As I held Ruby to my chest, I thanked God for giving me such wonderful experiences with both of our daughters.

Thank you to all of our friends and family for helping to make each day without our sweet Willow, one filled with generosity, love, compassion, faith and most of all support.

Go out there and do great things!

#BeLikeTheWillow

#LetsStartAMovement

#BeKindToOneAnother

Want To Join The Movement? Click Here!

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10.08.21 Post a picture of a Willow tree on your personal Facebook page

"Be Like The Willow tree, able to bend without breaking under the weight of the storms may come your way."

- Unknown

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