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Hundreds of people gather each year in a Lake Forest cemetery to mourn the loss of their children.
They stand before the statue of an angel and listen to songs and prayers and stories of loss.
Many of them cry. They do not try to hold back the tears.
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And when the time comes, they line up to speak the names of the children they have lost -- and to place flowers for those children at the feet and in the arms of the bronze angel.
For my latest City Beat, I visit the Angel of Hope statue at El Toro Memorial Park on the night of the memorial, and hear why people find the naming part of the ceremony especially important.
If you’ve ever wondered what to say to people dealing with such a devastating loss, read my latest City Beat .
Here’s what I sent out on Twitter from the scene:
[View the story ‘Grieving parents gather at a bronze angel’ on Storify ]Grieving parents gather at a bronze angel Each year on the night of December 6, hundreds gather at the statue of an angel in a Lake Forest cemetery. They come to mourn for and remember the children they have lost. It is a tradition that started with a self-published book, ‘The Christmas Box,’ which is a staple of grief support groups. Storified by LA Times City Beat � Mon, Dec 10 2012 10:32:18
For my next City Beat, I visit a statue of an angel, where people gather each year to mourn & honor children they’ve lost.LA Times City Beat
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