My Other Brother

October 15th is the annual observance of National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. It’s also the birthday of one of my brothers.

William Raymond Carlton was stillborn on October 15, 1956. He was the first child born to my parents.

The death of an infant is never an easy subject to discuss and neither is creating a picture book about sibling loss that is suited for children ages 2-6. But that’s exactly what I did, and I based this book on the story of my family’s loss. Talk about gut-wrenching and emotionally exhausting. That pretty well sums up the writing and illustrating process for this, my first children’s book.

Why on earth did I think that it was a good idea to share such an intimate experience with strangers?

The book was written to comfort young siblings in families who are grieving an infant loss. My personal struggle to complete the manuscript and illustrations will be worthwhile if families are helped by the book’s suggestions for healthy coping strategies. I pray that this will be the case.

We pick wild daisies in the spring.
Mom makes a fine bouquet.
And later at Will’s grave I ask,
“Is heaven far away?”

Happy, Heavenly Birthday, Will.