We have all heard the saying, "it’s the little things that matter"at one time or another. What I am about to share with you is a true example of just that. It's actual about something as simple as a bench. Now you are probably wondering, how can a bench matter to anyone? Well to some it probably doesn't but to one little boy it means a lot.

​

You see when Chelsea passed away there was a bench at the cemetery down from her grave. From the beginning, I would go and sit on that bench while I was there. Remember her son, Jase, was a baby at the time and when he would be with me the bench gave me a place to sit and hold him while I was there. As time passed and Jase started walking, he would go to the bench and climb up to sit down. When he started talking, he would call it "our bench". This became a regular routine for us when we spent time there. It was a place for me not to only sit with Jase but with my husband Steve, as we talked about our memories of Chelsea and shared stories with all our grandchildren about their Aunt Chelsea. 

​

Over time I noticed the bench showing some signs of wear but we continued to sit on it and didn't think much about it until this particular visit. You see when we got there that day "our bench" was gone. Not only was I sad to see that it was gone but I had a little boy with me that was very upset. To him that bench had always been there for us. Of course, my first thought was to go right then and buy us a new bench! So, I started asking questions about the bench and if I could get permission to replace it. I then learned that the other benches throughout the cemetery had been removed over time as well due to breakage.

​

My thoughts then shifted from how much that bench meant to me and my family and this little boy when he went to visit his Mommy's grave, to other families as well.  What if there were other parents that sat on those benches as they think about a child they had lost? What if there were other children like my grandchildren that loved the bench as much as mine did? What if others sat on them to just feel close to a loved one? What if people that couldn't stand very long needed a bench in order to visit a love one? So, of course I wanted to go out and replace ALL the benches! But I knew in reality, I wasn't able to do that but I knew in my heart what I wanted to do and needed to figure out how.  My next thought was that the benches needed to be replaced with a bench that would last longer than the previous ones had so I started looking and I found a bench. A bench that I thought would be perfect. 

 

I am happy to say that after much thought, prayer and time, I was approved to replace all the benches, the ones that were already removed, as well as add benches to the recently opened sections of the cemetery.  The benches are being installed in Honor of Brain Aneurysm & AVM Awareness and a small plaque will be added to the benches that says just that!