It was the biggest blow imaginable when Jeannette Arsenault lost her son to blood cancer in 2011.
Her son, Craig Arsenault, was just starting out his life – married, with a young daughter, and a good job.
“It doesn’t seem to make sense. It really shatters your belief in a lot of stuff, including the natural order of life” said Arsenault at the annual International Children’s Memorial Place (ICMP) bricklaying ceremony held at Scales Pond, Sunday afternoon.
“My mother-in-law was aged 102, my uncle 95, and my mother 85. They all questioned, ‘Why was it not one of us?’ Craig was just 38-years-old and had so much to live for,” continued the resident from Abram-Village. “While you learn to accept and move on, you never forget. I treasure those happy memories.”
Hundreds joined Arsenault at the peaceful site, where dozens of bricks were placed on the Path of Remembrance as a way of memorializing loved ones.
“The brick laying ceremony shows that we are not alone on this journey of grief,” said Arsenault’s sister, Colette Gallant.
“We also have a tree growing in the Ever-living forest for Craig but came today to lay bricks for other members of the family that have moved on,” Gallant motioned to 11 bricks on the path with inscribed names of family members, including one with the name ‘Craig M. Arsenault.’
“This is a place where families that have lost a child can come and plant a tree and it’s like their spirit continues to live. It’s a great place to relax and watch the tree grow. While I know my son will not grow, the tree grows in his place, so it’s part of the healing because it shows there is still life,” Arsenault said.
“When I walk through the Ever-living forest, with over 500 trees, its as if those trees are hugging me because every one of them represents a child that has gone. Every parent is grieving like we are, but by walking through the forest you really don’t feel alone, you feel loved,” continued Arsenault.
She offered some sage words of advice for other families going through grief.
“Don’t hesitate to talk about grief. Talking about your loved one that has moved on helps keep their memory alive in a positive way. Remember the happier times, not the sickness or sadness. Talk to other people that have lost kids because we all go through the same thing, even if they pass differently, it’s a loss for all of us,” concluded Arsenault.
For more information on the bricklaying ceremony or the ICMP visit, www.icmplace.ca.
