Some reflection

This is the page I submitted to HOF for the journal your passion assignment. I post this page, not for you to feel sadness for me, but for you to share my joy in how my life has turned out. I was 20 years old and had been married for two years when our first baby girl was stillborn on Feb. 1, 1980. We named her Melissa Nicole. She was full term. We had an autopsy done for our peace of mind and the official cause of death was from cord compression. When she dropped in preparation for her entry into the world, the umbilical cord was pressed between her head and the birth canal and all blood flow was stopped. She was gone before I even went into labor. All movement had stopped for a day or two when I called the doctor with the feeling something was wrong. My suspicions were confirmed at the hospital and she was born a couple of days later. Curtis picked this spot for her grave because of the small little tree planted next to it. He thought it would grow tall and keep her shaded. Over the past 28 years, it has definitely grown. Although devastating at the time, I am so happy with how our life turned out and what great kids we have. I often think of her and wonder who she would be but then I think that if she had lived, maybe we would still have stopped at two and my beautiful Allison would not be in our lives. I altered the photo a bit by desaturating the color until only a little bit of the color in the flowers remain. If you click on the picture, you can read the journaling.