Upon our move to Utah, our family was invited to participate in the annual Running With Angels 5K at Thanksgiving Point, Lehi, Utah. The race is run in memory of children who have passed away, and is hosted by Intermountain Utah Valley Hospital, and Pamela Hansen, who featured Matthew’s story on her blog this past Spring.
As a “dove-releasing family”, we did just that! – we released doves, next to four or five other families who had lost children to death, to kick-off the 5K run.
All four of our living children ran with us, as well as Aunt Amelia and Uncle Barry. A friend made us capes to don, with Matthew’s name on the bottoms. (Those capes alone helped us find each other throughout the crowded race and afterwards… GO TEAM MATTHEW!) And we were cheered on by Aunt Brittany and by friends from our church congregation.
After I had crossed the finish line and rejoined my family, one of the hosts asked me if I had felt some measure of relief or healing in connection with the releasing of the doves. Honestly, I felt no more healing at that very moment than I had sought and felt many many times since Matthew’s death. But I felt anew an incredible amount of gratitude for the precious people in my life, who run with me, who walk with me, who even carry me when I can neither run nor walk.
Not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with – here, now, every day… Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that ANGELIC is the only word that comes to mind.
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