My almost 8-year-old niece recently passed away. A car hit her as it was backing out of the driveway. A pressure washer was running nearby so she did not hear the car coming. The car was older and did not have a back-up camera.
In a lot of ways, I’m not sure what to say or what to do. It feels more like we are all existing as we go through the motions. Trying to find the right balance of being helpful and of service, while allowing space for people to be alone and grieve as needed. Our family, the school, and the community have all been great about both.
Even though I’m feeling unsure of how to process, I know I want to document this. I will want to come back and find these important memories as we become more capable of processing everything.
We arrived in town on Wednesday
On Thursday my oldest daughter and I had the honor of going to the funeral home to make molds of Hazel’s hand. I was able to hold her little hand in mine as I rubbed the oil on her skin to ensure it did not stick to the mold. Since we live out of state, I had not been there with her in the hospital. So this was a very special moment for me to have with her. While we waited for the mold to set; we spoke to her, my daughter read the first few chapters of a book she thought Hazel would have liked (Keeper of the Lost Cities), and I played a song for Hazel that I wished I had sung for her before she passed away in the hospital (Each life that Touches ours for Good).
Her parents put together a beautiful celebration of life funeral service on Friday. Everyone was invited to bring a bunny stuffed animal and wear Hazel’s favorite color, light purple. There were so many people who came, the line wrapped around the building.
The ward went above and beyond to serve our family in preparing decorations the day before, serving food for a family luncheon after the internment, and hosting another family luncheon the following day for Hazel’s twin sister’s baptism.
On Saturday, My daughter and I prepared a hand cast for Hazel’s parents from the molds we made. I ordered a special box to put the hand cast in, so they can open it up on their time and have a special place to keep it if they are not ready to put it on display.
Here are some of the photos I have of Hazel from the family fun we’ve had together over the years.
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