Day 5 memorial

Day 5 - Memorial

I could not bear to bury Joaquim. When I started to think about the funeral and his tiny coffin being lowered into the ground, I would get cold chills and panick would rise up in my throat. As a family we decided to cremate him. My husband and I went together to the undertaker. We were taken to a large room, were we placed our basket full of gifts on a metal table. We pressed play on the ipod, and the first melancholic notes of "may the long time sun shine upon you", drifted through the air.They brought him to us, and we lovingly bathed his little body in oils, and dried him with cotton wool. We kissed each of his puncture marks and bruises. We wrapped his little fingers around ours one last time. We dressed him in a soft white and grey baby suit, with little lamb booties on his feet. We tucked his hand knitted unicorn under his arm, and swaddled him in the cotton blanket from his Nanan. We chose a tiny white coffin, and placed him gently inside. On his memorial table, we have placed his wooden box containing his ashes. His name is engraved on the top. It is lovingly arranged every day, as we light his remembrance candle, and place rose quartz crystals around his little box. The willow tree statues were a gift from my husband, the arch angel was a gift from my mom. The hand sculpted clay angel was a gift from one of my closest friends, while the pewter fairies are a gift from another.. The wooden dolphins were hand carved by my eldest son for Joaquims table. The crystal frame was a gift from my family in the UK.The soap stone family of 6 statue was a gift from my sister. The belly cast that we made when I was pregnant was painted to resemble the universe, perspective to the journey that is not over yet.