Choosing Triumph Over Tragedy

If this is your first time reading this blog, I hope it is because someone passed along some kindness to you in memory of my son Hudson.  Today is Hudson’s birthday and he would have been 3 years old.  Hudson’s story started quite some time ago.  After years of infertility we finally got pregnant with our incredible son.  At 20 weeks pregnant, I found out my son had a congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) which means he would be born with only half of a functioning heart.  At the time it was very difficult to explain the situation repeatedly, so my husband and I decided to start this blog to keep family and friends updated on Hudson’s life.  We weren’t sure if we would ever bring our son home from the hospital or what his future would hold, but we knew that God would be triumphant in his life regardless, and so we called the blog Choosing Triumph Over Tragedy.

Fast forward several months and our son not only survived his first 2 open-heart surgeries, but he thrived.  This incredible little boy was full of life; always smiling, constantly on the move, and never letting his circumstances define him.  Hudson loved animals, trains, reading, and nonstop playing.  Hudson was beautiful inside and out and he brought so much joy to our lives.

After 23 amazing months, Hudson’s life was unexpectedly cut short due to a complication from his heart defect.  I know my son is in Heaven and that one day we will be together again.  In this broken world it's easy to lose hope, but if you are reading this I think Hudson would want you to know how much Jesus loves you.  There is nothing that will ever cause him to stop loving or relentlessly pursuing you.  There is no pit in life that God’s love is not deeper.  As much as I love my son, I know that he is in the arms of the only one that could love him more than me.

Happy Birthday Hudson!  We love you forever!

Why I Hope You Never Stop Saying His Name

Maybe one of the most precious gifts you can give a bereaved parent is to say their child’s name.  When a loved one passes away, there is initially such a huge outpouring of support.  Understandably as time goes on, people go back to their normal lives.  We however will never be able to go back to our old normal again.  Life will never be the same and a big piece of our hearts died that day too.  When Hudson passed away, I had this intense desire to keep his memory alive.  One of my biggest fears was that people would forget about this incredible little boy that changed my life forever.  Probably many people feel this way after losing a loved one, but I can’t help but think the feeling is amplified when it is a child.  Hudson didn’t have a lifetime to make memories and form relationships; he had 23 months.

Death is an uncomfortable topic and people always wonder what to say and what not to, and many times just choose to not say anything.  I understand and probably used to do the same thing.  Now on the other side I can say my heart beams when someone mentions Hudson.  I might tear up when you talk about him, but it is only because I miss so much and not because you made me upset.  He is always on my mind whether you say anything or not.  Please don’t feel bad if I cry when you talk about him because I am so glad that you did.  It reminds me that we are not the only ones that loved Hudson and miss him.  You see I may cry when you talk about him, but it breaks my heart when you don’t.

When I hear you say his name or share a story about Hudson it gives me so much joy.  A couple of months after Hudson passed, one of my friends sent me some pictures of Hudson at her daughter’s birthday party.  What a treasure!  I was unable to go to the party because of work so my husband had taken him.  She gave me the gift of a new memory of my son that day and I couldn’t be more grateful.  It is also so wonderful when people share a special memory they have of Hudson or even say they think of him.

Hudson’s 3^rd birthday is coming up and we would like to ask you to participate in the second annual Hudson’s Day of Kindness on June 25^th.  Please help us keep our son’s memory alive by performing a random act of kindness on his birthday.  I have attached a PDF that has cards that tell a little about Hudson and can be printed and passed out while performing an act of kindness.  Thank you in advance for participating!

Link to Hudson's Day of Kindness Cards:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4mfAlWPs28TS1FOU19yVS1LTFU/view?usp=sharing

Please remember Hudson and please never stop saying his name.