Hi there!
I wanted to share something more personal to me and my family today.
October of 2022 was a month full of joy and anticipation for me and my husband. Just eight months into being parents to our sweet firstborn, we found out I was pregnant again. Having kids close together was something we’d always hoped for, and we felt incredibly blessed. Just as we were envisioning life with two littles, we got the news that I would lose that pregnancy. What followed was a heartbreaking experience, coupled with health complications that was almost life threatening. It was the scariest season of our lives.
After the miscarriage, I fell into a deep depression and was not in a good space. I had to keep going as a mom for my child, yet I felt lost, physically and emotionally exhausted. Therapy was started some time after, and my therapist encouraged me to get out of the house daily, no matter how small the errand. But with a baby, leaving the house often felt overwhelming, and I didn’t know where to go.
From that season of grief and feeling lost, the Pink Flamingo Play Cafe was born. I realized that if I struggled to find a safe, welcoming space to go to, maybe other parents going through difficult times did, too. The Pink Flamingo is now more than just a play cafe—it’s a community space where families can find support, warmth, and, hopefully, a little healing. To me, it’s been a beautiful picture of healing and hope, turning a painful loss into a source of light and connection for others, like beauty rising from ashes.
This November holds a special significance in so many ways. Not only is it the month I remember the baby we lost, Juniper, but it’s also the month we welcomed our rainbow baby, Jett, on November 2nd. To honor this journey, our cafe will feature a new piece of artwork: a mural of a rainbow painted by a friend. Guests can participate in something deeply meaningful—we’ve prepared tags for anyone to write the names of their rainbow babies or babies who are no longer with us. Each tag will hang on the wall with rainbow babies on the rainbow and babies gone too soon on the clouds.
This month, the Pink Flamingo will be partnering with Beckett’s Blessing Box, a nonprofit founded by parents, Taylor and Linley Morton who, after losing their son Beckett at birth, transformed their grief into a beautiful cause, supporting families facing similar loss. It feels so special to come together with Beckett’s Blessing Box this November and to support other families through their pain, knowing we’re honoring both Juniper and Beckett in our way. For those unable to visit in person, you can join us from afar by making a donation to Beckett’s Blessing Box through the Pink Flamingo’s business Venmo, @pinkflamingoplaycafe, and we’ll add your baby’s name to our wall, in the rainbow or clouds, as you choose.
This journey has taught me that while grief is powerful, so is hope, and sometimes the most beautiful things can grow from the hardest parts of life. If you’re local, I’d love to welcome you to the Pink Flamingo this month to be part of our rainbow wall. And if you’re part of our online community, please know that your support matters deeply.
Let’s make November a month of remembrance, love, and healing together.
Warmly,
Rachel
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