We were truly ridiculous this month, with literally dozens of back-and-forth lobbying sessions, new discoveries and cart-upending nominations. Part of the happy problem is that we're meeting many of you for the first time, digging back through your archives and finding not only gems in this month but in past months that we can't resist acknowledging here.

So we always say it's tough to choose one 'best post', but this month, your hearts and words made the task especially difficult.

This month we honour Carol at Happy Sad Mama for her post, Happy-sad. Five years past the stillbirth of her daughter Charlotte, Carol reflects on holding her own identity, blessings and ordinariness in one hand, and the vivid, almost-like-unrequited-love of babyloss in the other. I liked how Carol's writing holds a bright light further down the path, showing flashes of acceptance that give me hope.

Remember to nominate your favourites by the 14th of every month--we so deeply appreciate hearing new voices. And as always, thanks to all of you for participating!

July's glowing nominees were, in random order:

STE at So Dear and Yet So Far for High wire act 

Hisaak at Rebuilding Myself for What I wish I could tell you

Angie at Bring the Rain for A beautiful song

Carol at Happy Sad Mama for Writing

M at My Sanctuary for #135

Mrs. Spit at Mrs. Spit Spouts Off for Last kick and Fathers

Steph at Mi Isla Sola for Dear Isla

K@lakly at This Is Not What I Had Planned for The fear

Jenny at There's A New Monarchy In Town for What I know

Stephanie at Hopefully Trying for This is what it is

Becky at Life with Love and Loss for Pregnancy after loss, part one 

In the past few weeks and months, it's been wonderful to hear from so many new voices--my surefire way to ward off teh crazies, to be honest with you. As always, let's acknowledge the collective uncraziness generated by shared experience: nominate a blog post that moved you for a Glow in the Woods Award--one of your own, or someone else's.

Go here to nominate by no later than the 14th of the month, and here to review the winners so far. On the 15th, we'll announce the winner along with a complete list of the nominees for a virtual medusa meet 'n greet.

Who's rocked your heart this month?

It is a little hard to believe that yet another month had gone by, and it is time again to annouce our monthly "Glowing in the Woods" award! It was head-breaking to decide who gets the award--all these pieces are beautiful, poignant and touching. Each is a treasure you pick up and fondle and admire and have a hard time putting down. It is amazing how some find the words to those feelings we have been struggling to put our finger on.

This month we honour C. at My Resurfacing for Linus carries one, too -- an eloquent metaphor to the grief that bereaved parents feel. Wrap your heart around this post that is hard to tear away from.

Remember to nominate your favourites every month: posts that move you, resonate with you--posts we all need to share.

As mentioned last month, we are listing the nominees so you can all see how hard it is to choose who to give the award to. So much thanks to all who handed in nominations!

June's nominees:

Angie at Bring the Rain for Clay

Aite via Glow in the Woods for How to be there for your friend

Alice at An Empty Chair at our Table for Leagues of grief

Antigone at Antigone Lost for Hopeless

Today we are proud to share with all of you a new feature of GITW-- our monthly award. Every month, on the 15th, we will announce the recipient, selected from among the posts we stumble on in our travels around the blogosphere and all of your nominations.

I think of the award recipient as a "Wow! What she said!" post, a post that stays with you, that calls to you, that shows you something you haven't thought of before. It can be short, it can be long, it can be lyrical, it can be hilarious piss-your-pants funny, it can be a rant. It can be anything that moves you.

This month, as the time was short and the idea new, we did both the nominating and the selecting. In the future, though, we humbly ask for your help. Unfortunately, the babyloss blogosphere is large, and the wider one is unfathomably humongous. Without your help, we will absolutely miss some of these incredibly insightful posts. And pretty please, with sugar on top, feel free to nominate yourself as well as anyone else. It's not at all weird. Honest. (And when we announce the winner, we will also list all the nominees for the month, so that everyone gets a chance to click their way through the richness.)

And this brings us to the official portion of today's program. The inaugural Glowing in the Woods award goes to...drum roll, please...

Lori from Losses and Gains for her post Never Enough Time.  It's a story of loss across generations, of time, of hard-won wisdom, and of course, of love. Go read it, and bring tissues.

I am particularly thrilled to be able to present this award to Lori today because she was one of the very first deadbaby mamas I "met" last year, and one whose words have always rang with quiet truth and wisdom to me. Congratulations, Lori! And please watch your email for your new bling.

Pst... There is another new post below this one. That's right-- it's a two post day. Hallelujah!