Memorial Garden Gives Those Who Have Lost a Child a Place to Remember, Grieve, Bond
When parents lose a child, “We’ve lost our future and our plans.”
By Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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Grief is a messy process. Losing parents, grandparents, and lifelong friends makes us long for what was, even as we struggle to find ways to move on and cope in the wake of their deaths.
The loss of a child, however, adds another element.
“People don’t understand what it is to lose a child unless they’ve been through it,” Jill Medina told the Advance via phone on Monday.
Eight years ago she lost her son, who had graduated from Massaponnax High School less than two years earlier.
When parents lose a child, she said, “We’ve lost our future and our plans.”
Stories like these — and many others like them — are what moved Spotsylvania resident Jaimie Ashton to give these people a place to remember their loved ones and support one another.
“There was a lot of hurting and nowhere to go,” Ashton told the Advance earlier this year.
Her idea was to create a safe space for young people who’ve lost friends, and the parents of those lost, to gather and begin to deal with the grief.
This past weekend, that idea became a reality.
With support from local businesses, families, and the approval of the School Board, the plans Ashton had put together by an artist friend took wing.
Once the dust had settled, what has emerged outside the Spotsylvania Public Schools central office on Route 1 is a quiet spot for reflection and remembrance.
“I’m very thankful to Jaimie Ashton for championing this project,” Spotsylvania Schools Superintendent Clint Mitchell told the Advance via phone, “because it is much-needed in our community as we try to heal from all of the tragedies we have had involving students over the years. As division superintendent, my role was to petition the Board to change the policy to make this memorial possible. And for that, I’m grateful to the Board.”
Medina, who today is the co-chapter leader of the local chapter of Compassionate Friends, told the Advance that the memorial park is something that “bereaved parents are going to be excited about because it gives us a place to go and reflect and remember our children at any time of the day. Cemeteries are different because you’re not supposed to be there after dark.”
When she came to the site over the weekend to help with the construction, Medina grabbed Ashton and “just hugged her and thanked her and the volunteers for donating their time and materials.”
“I don’t even have the words to explain what it means,” she said.
Dedication Ceremony
While the memorial park is now open, there will be a formal dedication ceremony on October 18 at 2:00 p.m.
To get involved with the ceremony, or to have the name of a loved one memorialized at the park, individuals can reach out to Jamie Ashton at jaimie.community@gmail.com.
Do You Need Support?
If you or someone you know has lost a child that attends or has attended Spotsylvania County Public Schools and you are looking for support, The Compassionate Friends Fredericksburg Area Chapter is a good starting point.
Monthly meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month andrun from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 5120 Harrison Road.
The Compassionate Friends national organization offers information on finding local chapters, and also offers resources for those suffering with the loss of a child.
Local Obituaries
To view local obituaries or to send a note to family and loved ones, please visit the link that follows.
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