For a few moments after Handicrafter Glenda Day handed the memory pillows to the eight girls, the room went silent. One of the Trellis (Hospice) Camp Carousel volunteers leaned toward me and said, “That little girl in the corner. Her pillow is made from the pillow case of her six-year-old brother who died of cancer.”
Camp Carousel is a place for kids who have lost a loved one to grieve and hope together. Going from room to room, one could see kids writing messages of love on hearts and then placing them in memory pillows made by our Handicrafters out of meaningful fabrics from their loved ones. There were pillow cases, blankets, dresses, and t-shirts reflecting the person who was missed.
There isn’t anything much more heartbreaking than a grieving child. Watching Handicrafter Lynne Atkins comforting a girl who was reluctant to let go of her pillow in order for it to be sewn up, though, showed just how Christ’s mercy can bring healing to broken hearts.
– Mike Nuckolls
