Wednesday's Woe - The "Take-Away" of the Special Day ~Tommy Prince

Wednesday's Woe

The "Take-Away" of the Special Day

~Tommy Prince

We learned in math, that in subtraction, 

five "take-away" one equals four, 

or 

five minus one equals four, 

or  

"5 - 1 = 4." 

So, 

5 members of a family minus 1 member of the family = a family of 4. 

But in our case of Child-Loss, it feels more like 

5 take away 1 = "Forever Suffering…"

Having come through this weekend of the Father's Day holiday, in which the focus is on a father and his relationship with his children, I notice that no matter how much I try to delight in, or enjoy, the day, I always end up experiencing more of a "take-away" feeling. I cannot seem to "enjoy" the day, as 

the one "take-away" overwhelms the four remainder, 

so that 

the one is "greater than" the four

Or 

"1 > 4" 

in math terminology, which destroys the whole logic of mathematics. That shouldn't be surprising as the whole order of our family has been shattered as well. 

The sense of a "take-away" is heightened on these special days. No matter how much Angie and I try to be "up," the "take-away" brings us back "down." The "take-away" takes away the desire to even want to celebrate these days. Our hearts just won't do it; somehow our hearts want to mourn, not celebrate… We cannot get "up" because something's been "taken away," and our poor hearts and bodies know that all too well!  

On the surface, we can call them "Mother's Day," "Father's Day," or "Birthdays," but our hearts know they are really "Take-Away" days. 

The "take-away" overwhelms everything else. 

The one "take-away" is going to outnumber the four remaining here on this earth no matter the day, no matter the holiday, no matter how much we may try to "move on."

Playing on the titles of these child-story-books on math, it's as if our hearts continually plummet under death's "Action of Subtraction," and are daily longing for God's Ultimate Day when He performs His eternal "Mission of Addition," when our family will be restored to all of its members, and once again, the sum of its parts will be greater than the whole.

Pictures, thanks to Amazon.com 

Happy Birthday, Angel!

Happy Birthday, Merry Katherine!

Merry Katherine Prince

March 29, 1987 - August 2, 2006

I face each day, doing pretty well now,

Facing this life, this life without you,

Surviving daily, I don't know how,

When my heart, I admit, is broken in two.

Why then, when I write, are the tears falling down

When I picture your face, or your laughter rings out,

When I feel, in my tears, I really might drown,

And I'm returned to square one of this terrible drought,

This drought that was brought by that terrible day,

That day, despite prayer, you were taken away,

This drought that claws at my heart every day

Yet somehow I go on, somehow find a way…

It seems I face each day, doing pretty well now;

I'm doing more work, a seeming progression,

But only you and God really see how

I'm doing inside, my tears, my true confession.

And now, once again, your birthday arrives,

Yet you are not here, for us to celebrate…

(How is it, amidst drought, the rest of the world thrives

When we are left behind, to watch our hearts break?)

Yet, you see, I am learning to cope,

To live amidst death in this terrible drought:

Your smile, as you lean into God, brings me Hope

And your continued Love forges a way through death's drought,

As our life on this earth lives on in the prayer

Fully realized in Christ once we are There!

And then we will joy in God's grand celebration

Where pain pales in the face of our Father's elation.

Happy 26th Birthday, Merry Katherine!

We love you and long to see you again,

Mommy, Daddy, Rollin, Stephanie, Merry Elizabeth, and Nathan

Wednesday's Woe - Our Child's Absence: Degrees of Impact… ~Tommy Prince

Wednesday's Woe

Our Child's Absence: Degrees of Impact…

~Tommy Prince

There are degrees of impact on us parents when it comes to our child's absence. Our child's absence is such a powerful force upon our naked heart, that we are forced to navigate our pathway through such devastating grief as carefully as we can. 

I don't feel the impact of Merry Katherine's absence sitting here watch the Formula One race and eating peanuts. 

However, in getting together with family. . . I feel the impact of her absence, and it is unbearable. 

Of course I am going to avoid those situations where the emotional pain is unbearable.

We walk through this severe grief as best we can; it's like the open-wheel Formula-One race-car drivers knowing they need to navigate very carefully around the curves. One too-close brush against another driver's bare tires, and it's over. Kaput. Finis. So, too, we Child-Loss Grievers navigate. We learn to navigate. 

We are forced to slow down at points everyone else races through without thinking, but our "tires" are bare, unshielded, and MUST BE PROTECTED, or we know we will take a NOSEDIVE that takes "forever" to recover from.

Over the coming holidays, many of us will be reassessing the way we choose to spend the holidays. Can we grapple with "the usual" family get-togethers, or will we need to "drop back and punt" and do what is reassessed as our "new Normal," or as we say, punting "the usual" to defer to our particular needs, which we refer to as "the New Usual." 

Will we need to say "No, there will not be a family-get-together for us, not this year, maybe not in any year to come; we will let you know," as we have determined is right for us, or some version that best befits your own current needs? 

It is for each individual griever to decide. But we all admit to some degree that we have been changed forever; to what degree that is for each of us must be determined, and then to decide what changes in our lifestyle need to align accordingly. May you give yourself permission to do what you need to do during this hectic time of the year.

Scripture very wisely says, "See danger, and take refuge." May we all be very discerning, and carefully take the appropriate measures to guard and comfort our tender, broken hearts in the coming days…

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

Proverbs 27:12 (NLT)

The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

Proverbs 27:12 (NIV)

Picture, thanks to ~GriefSong
Scripture, NLT = New Living Translation, NIV = New International Version, of The Holy Bible

Saturday's Sayings - No Holiday From Grief

Saturday's Sayings

No Holiday From Grief

The holidays are upon us and while many of us revel in the joy family traditions bring, for those grieving a loss, the holidays can hold little joy.

So what should we do for those we care about mourning a loss? Do we send cards? Buy gifts? Try to cheer them up?

For starters, it’s important to understand that grief is very individual and runs its own course. It’s not something anyone can control and the bereaved need to mourn their loss at their own pace and in their own time. Holidays are a particularly difficult time because absences are acutely felt and holidays, with established traditions, demonstrate how much life has changed.

One reader, whose family hosted a holiday meal for friends, continued the tradition the first year after his spouse’s death. But he found it too painful and accepted an invitation the next year, changing the way his family celebrated the holiday. Another reader who traditionally hosted the family holidays decided to leave town for the first holiday after her spouse’s death. Instead of taking care of the family with dinner and presents, she went to a spa and let someone take care of her. It gave her the space to recharge and rethink her role in her family and by the second year, she was ready to create new family traditions.

Your support, especially during the holidays, is important. While cards and gifts are thoughtful, your companionship might be the best gift of all. It’s helpful to initiate a discussion and ask the bereaved what traditional activities they’d like to participate in and what they might be comfortable doing. But only ask if you are willing to make changes to accommodate their feelings. They might like to stick with traditions or, they might like to create new ones. You’ll never know unless you ask.

~Grieving Mothers

~Robbie Miller

~via Grieving Mothers

~~~~~

~Star Bright Angels

Do not judge the bereaved mother,
She comes in many forms.
She is breathing, but she is dying.
She may look young,
but inside she has become ancient.
She smiles, but her heart sobs.
She walks, she talks, she cooks,
She cleans, she works, she IS,
But she IS NOT, all at once.
She is here, 
but part of her is elsewhere for eternity.
A Child that loses a parent is an orphan,
A Man who loses his wife is a widower,
A Woman who loses her husband is a widow,
However, there is no name 
for a parent who loses a child,
For there is no word to describe such pain.

~~~~~

~In Memory of Lost Loved Ones

~~~~~

~The Compassionate Friends/USA

~~~~~

~In Memory of Lost Ones

~~~~~

~Love Hope and Dream

~~~~~

Suggestions for Dealing with the Holiday Blues

It is important to recognize it is not unusual to feel sad or depressed during the holiday season or around other special dates -- anniversaries of births or deaths or special occasions. Holidays and special dates can trigger an episode of the blues, feelings of loneliness, depression and melancholy, especially if one is still in an active grieving process.

Here is a list of suggestions to help you cope:

-It's okay to cry.

-Especially if you are grieving, don't (try) to be all things for all people. Learn to set realistic limits on your energies.

-Make time for yourself. If possible, do something self-indulgent, such as getting a massage, a new hair cut or even just taking a bubble bath.

-Call, visit, write or e-mail a long-lost friend, someone who is house-bound, or an elderly relative.

-Get plenty of sleep and exercise.

-Try to minimize drinking and eating. During periods of the blues, drinking can contribute to the depression and the associated guilt.

-Spend time with people who care about you, who are nurturing and supportive. Try and limit the amount of time spent with people who drive you crazy.

-Enjoy free activities:

Walk in the community park

Watch the sunset

Smell baking bread

Browse through books or magazines in bookstores or grocery stores (especially in sections you don't normally visit)

Window shop without buying

Listen to outdoor Christmas concerts

Enjoy Christmas carolers

-Donate your money or time to a local charity. It’s a way of helping those who may have less.

-Keep daily expectations manageable. Set realistic goals, decide what you can comfortably handle, and let your family and friends know about your limitations.

-Realize that each holiday, birthday or anniversary is only one day. Take them one occasion at a time.

-Consider doing something in memory of departed loved ones:

Set up a scholarship

Dedicate a bench or plaque

Plant a tree

Adopt a needy family

Donate money to their favorite cause

Publish an ad in the local paper to remember an anniversary

-Create rituals to remember the loved one:

Light a special candle

Play a favorite song

Hang a certain ornament

Hang a stocking for the loved one in which people can include notes

Listen to music your loved one liked

Write letters or notes expressing your feelings and share them with others if it seems appropriate

-Get out in nature. Walk, hike, or just enjoy feeling the winter chill.

-It's okay to enjoy yourself, to laugh and to have fun. Laughter is healing and is not a sign of disrespect. Think about the person you have lost and try to imagine asking them the question, "Is it OK for me to enjoy myself now?" I think you will discover the answer to be "YES."

-Blow bubbles (it makes you feel like a kid again!)

-Go to or rent an uplifting movie. Some of the ones that always make me feel better are:

"It's a Wonderful Life"

"Miracle on 34th Street"

"Sleepless in Seattle"

"Forrest Gump"

"Apollo 13"

"The Princess Bride"

"Bed of Roses"

"It Could Happen to You"

"Sleeping Beauty"

"The Sound of Music"

"The Wizard of Oz"

"The Full Monty"

"Ever After"

-Buy a tree or plant, then create a ceremony to plant it.

-Look for activities at your local recreation department or community college.

-See a play or a concert at a high school or college. Check your local paper for listings and ideas.

-Attend a church service.

-Attend a poetry reading.

-Start a journal to record your thoughts, feelings and writings -- to share or just to get out of your system.

-Join a health club, YMCA or local park and recreation department for exercise classes.

-Try to keep a cheerful disposition with sales clerks, people waiting in lines, people in the produce section of the grocery store, etc.

-Simple, genuine statements can often lead to conversations. For example, "I need to pick a present for my [fill in the blank]. What do you think of this?" or "What a handsome dog!"

-Keep trying. You may find someone else who is also experiencing the blues and would welcome the chance to talk with a pleasant stranger and may become a new friend.

~Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT

~~~~~

~In Loving Memory

~~~~~

~Wings of Hope Living Forward

MOTHER PLEASE DON'T MOURN FOR ME

Mother, please don’t mourn for me,

I’m still here, though you don’t see.

I’m right by your side each night and day,

And within your heart I long to stay.

My body is gone, but I’m always near,

I’m everything you feel, see or hear.

My spirit is free, but I’ll never depart,

As long as you keep me alive in your heart.

I’ll never wander out of your sight,

I’m the brightest star on a Summer night.

I’ll never be beyond your reach,

I’m the warm, moist sand when you’re at the beach.

I’m the colourful leaves when Fall comes around,

And the pure white snow that blankets the ground.

I’m the beautiful flowers of which you’re so fond,

The clear, cool water in a quiet pond.

I’m the first bright blossom you’ll see in the Spring,

The first warm raindrop that April will bring.

I’m the first ray of light when the sun starts to shine,

And you’ll see that the face in the moon is mine.

When you start thinking there’s no one to love you,

You can talk to me through the Lord above you.

I’ll whisper my answer through the leaves on the trees,

And you’ll find my presence in the soft Summer breeze.

I’m the hot salty tears that flow when you weep,

And the beautiful dreams that come when you sleep.

Just look for me Mom, I’m everyplace.

~Author Unknown

~via Grieving Mother, Jill Compton

~~~~~

If I listen closely

I can hear the rustle

of ANGEL wings

and know you are

still with us.

~Grieving Mother, Jill Compton

~via Grieving Mothers

~~~~~

Every day and every night,

when you feel the need to hold me tight,

Just blow a kiss into the sky,

for I will be that close by.

In the Heavens throughout the day,

I watch over you and hear you pray

I see you smile and shed a tear,

for you know that I'm still near.

I'm the Angel of your eye,

your Angel in the sky. . .

Wednesday's Woe - Holidays Amidst "The New Usual" ~Tommy Prince

Wednesday's Woe

Holidays Amidst "The New Usual"

~Tommy Prince

"What are y'all doing for Thanksgiving, or are you doing 'The Usual'?" our 27-year-old son, now living out of state called and asked the other day. He was trying to decide whether to be with relatives where he now lives, or to come home to be with us on Thanksgiving Day.

My reply was immediate and without thought, if that tells you anything about our lives these days:

"We're doing the usual:

Closing the curtains. 

Locking the doors, and  

Turning out the lights."

My son laughed and just as quickly threw out his rejoinder:

"And don't forget: 

'Shut off the phones.'"

Does our son know us well or what? I think he has enough information now to make his informed decision. 

Saturday's Sayings - Though Seasons May Change... My Love Never Will

Saturday's Sayings

Though Seasons May Change... 

My Love Never Will

Yes, we know our child is gone. But, we still wait for the door to fly open hoping our child will be there. We rush to pick up the phone thinking we'll hear our child's voice. We think we see the face of our child in a crowd. We honestly believe we feel our baby still kicking in our stomach. No, we haven't gone crazy! Please understand that the shock of losing a child causes such trauma that it often takes months (or years) for us to absorb the fact that we will never, ever hear, see, or touch our child again. The pain of child loss is unimaginable! Allow us to talk, cry, and grieve. Share some of our pain with us, but please don't look at us strangely and label us as crazy!

~Silent Grief - Child Loss Support

~~~~~

Grief doesn't come with a stopwatch...

but it does come with little windows of serenity.

~Here 4 U Grief and Loss

~~~~~

What to do when a friend is grieving

No one grieves the same way, and there are many ways to deal with grief or help a grieving friend, experts in the Jackson area say. 

Families and friends should focus on comforting and spending time with loved ones who might have lost someone recently. More than anything, providing companionship is important, they say. 

What grief isn't

There are many misconceptions about the grieving process and how to get through it, says Beverly Wilson, a Jackson counselor who owns Grief Matters, LLC, and volunteers with other grief support services in the area. 

Grieving is not a mental illness and suffering from it does not make someone “crazy,” she says — though many people feel that way. 

“Grief is a normal reaction to an abnormal event,” she says. 

Making sure friends or loved ones know that going through a grieving process is a normal part of loss is important, she says. The general population tends to think the grieving process will end after a specific amount of time and that after several months, grief about a loss should have passed.

“The thing many people don’t understand about grief is that it lasts an awful lot longer than we think,” Wilson says. 

Two months after someone loses a loved one, they could still be in shock because of the loss, she says. Around three months after a death, people usually begin to fall into “the black hole” of grief. 

“The most difficult part is between three and six months,” Wilson says. After a year, most people have gotten past the impact of the situation, although some feel a real loss two years after someone has died. 

“It’s normal to feel lost in time, disorganized, disoriented and confused,” says Patrice Cox, bereavement coordinator at Allegiance Health.

People often feel lost in space, numb or in shock, she says.

How to help

One of the most important parts of helping a friend who has suffered a loss is simply to be there for them, Wilson says. 

Saying things such as “I know how you feel” are not usually helpful; instead, offering to go to the grocery store or run errands for them is good gesture. 

“It’s better to make a suggestion where you see a need,” she says.

The best way to help a friend who is grieving is by providing companionship, Cox says.

“That is partially why support groups work,” she says. “People provided companionship for one another.”

This doesn’t mean you have to go out of your way to plan extravagant activities for a grieving friend. It could just mean spending a day with someone in their home and helping them with everyday activities, they say. 

Many people want to know how to best help a child who might have experienced a loss, Wilson says. An honest, simple approach that doesn't shy away from the truth is suggested. 

“Most times people think children should be protected from death and funerals,” she says.

In fact, if children don’t know the truth about what’s going on, their imaginations can invent far more frightening ideas. They also might be afraid no one will explain to them what’s going on, she says. 

“As long as you prepare them for what they will see, think, hear and feel, they can handle anything,” Wilson says. “It’s a very physical experience for children because they can’t think abstractly until the age of 9.”

Halloween is over, but the holiday season is about to come into full swing. For those mourning a child, a brother or sister, or a grandchild, this is a very difficult time. How do you plan to handle the season?

~Grieving Mothers 

When the holidays near

For the bereaved parent, we have other holiday concerns that far outweigh what size turkey or ham should be buy. One of our main concerns following child loss is, "What do we do with the empty chair?" Only a parent who has lost a child would understand the intensity and pain surrounding this question. Child loss hurts so, so much! 

~Silent Grief - Child Loss Support

In order to help avoid provoking unnecessary grief during the holiday season, Wilson says she suggests people send out cards around Thanksgiving explaining the loss of a loved one in the past year. This could help Christmas card senders who aren't often in touch avoid sending cards that inadvertently ask about someone who has died. 

Attending candlelight remembrance services during the holiday season also can help those who are grieving feel like their loved one has a special place in the season, Wilson says.

“(It can) take away that guilty feeling,” she says.

Families should understand that someone might feel sad about a loss more than usual during the season.

“The holidays are particularly hard because they have a whole lot of emotional expectation,” she says. “It’s hard for families to know that the bereaved person is not going to feel happy.”

~Grieving Mothers

~~~~~

Thanksgiving is approaching, and for families who have experienced child loss this is an extremely difficult holiday. Bereaved parents/families have tons of emotional upheavals during this particular holiday. One of the "unspeakables" of bereaved parents is that we are not always thankful for all things -- child loss has brought so much pain into our lives that we now live in a different world, and we see life through eyes of pain. Others expect us to jump right into this festive, thankful mood when in fact sometimes we want to hide in a closet and forget this day ever existed!

Silent Grief - Child Loss Support



~~~~

"Please say to me, that you are sorry for my loss,
not the loss of my child...
we are merely waiting for a reunion."

~Elizabeth Keets



~~~~~

Time does not heal the pain of child loss. Time simply puts distance between our initial shock and pain and where we are now. Time adds fear to the bereaved parent's life -- fear that we will forget our child's voice, forget our child's smell, forget the details of our child's face.........forget what it felt like to hold our child. No, time does not heal the pain of child loss. Our healing will come when we see our child again in heaven, and so we cling tightly to that hope as we pass through the long, dark valley of time.

~Silent Grief - Child Loss Support

In my mind...

all roads lead

to our reunion...



~~~~~

You don't get over it,

You just get through it.

You don't get by it, 

because you can't get around it.

It doesn't 'get better'; it just gets different.

Everyday... Grief puts on a new face.

~Wendy Feireisen

~~~~

I have this to say about grief. In my experience you don’t get over it. You incorporate it into the very fabric of your life. Your experience of grief will inform your attitudes, your decisions and your relationships for the rest of your life. You will be changed. If you can address your grief and work through it in a positive and meaningful way, you will be a more compassionate, forgiving and understanding person than you might have been. You will also incorporate and carry forward all the finest qualities, joys and memories of your loved ones. They will live on in your compassion, your actions and the telling of their stories.

~Arleen Webster Simmonds

~~~~~

Dear Lord,

You are aware of the struggle

I am going through.

You know the desire of my heart

to be healed.

I ask now for Your healing touch.

I know that You are able to heal me.

Lord I know there are many things

that are sent to try us in this life.

Please shine Your healing light

down on me

and lift the gloom and despair that 

I am feeling.

Allow me to be filled with Your love.

Through You all things 

are possible.

Amen.

~Grieving Mothers

Pictures and Quotes - Thank you to many grieving mothers: Barbara Kerrer of Grieving Mothers, Jill Compton, Arleen Webster Simmonds, Clara Hinton of "Silent Grief," and Elizabeth Keets

Blessed Independence Day

Thanks to all those who serve and all who have served that we may have our freedom ...


And thanks to all the moms who lost a child, dying to protect our freedom. 




~With great thanks to my readers for all you have sacrificed in loving your child, 


... may each of you have a blessed day, feeling God's loving arms around you.

~Thankful to God that we may have yet another 

Blessed Independence Day ~

Picture, thanks to grieving mother, P. Rogers

Friday's Faith - Signs of Love from Heaven

Friday's Faith

Signs of Love from Heaven

Some people journeying with grief say that "moments of connectedness" comprise one of the most powerful aids to healing. They describe times during which they feel strongly that a loved one is present--a visitation, a dream, a sign or a symbol…

Others have described vivid dreams which they felt a sense of time spent with their loved ones. Some describe events such as lights suddenly turning on or off or coins found in various places in and out of the home. Such events cannot be fully understood or explained, yet they provide healing for those who are open to the phenomenon. Frequent sightings of special birds like cardinals, hummingbirds, and eagles are healing reminders of many…

~Thomas M. Ellis,

This Thing Called Grief: New Understandings of Loss

Sitting on my patio, meditating outside in the beautiful sunshine on this Sunday afternoon, on this bittersweet and poignant day of Mother's Day… I am rocking in a porch rocker looking into my beautiful crimson red mandevilla with all it's bursting blooms next to our bubbling patio fountain, when I delight to see the first sighting of a hummingbird, its glistening green back hovering right before me, visiting and dining on each mandevilla blossom before me. Suddenly, for reasons still unknown to me, I burst into tears… 

I began to speculate… Perhaps  simply the beauty of God's creation appearing so close to me, a shockingly intimate moment with my Creator Lord, able to so closely admire the amazing beauty He bothered to invest into one little bird out of all of His creation…for His and our delight. 

… Perhaps the relief that these precious birds would come back to us once again to revisit us off and on for another Spring and Summer overwhelmed me in that moment. 

… Perhaps both of these reasons, and the sudden thought hit me that my sweet baby may be sending me this  special moment to remind me on this Mother's Day that she's thinking about me, when I felt her speak "Mommy, I am here… I love you!" We talked back and forth a bit on this special day, having a sweet Mother-Daughter "visit"!

So the tears continued to pour. Then as I thought of all the special happenings over the weekend, I was inspired to write the following poem. 

Signs of Love from Heaven

A hummingbird!

(First one of the season!)

Great Crested Flycatcher

stopped by earlier today with its

magnificent yellow belly!

(First one of its type I've ever seen!)

A new song revealed,

expressing our

"Heavenly" child's love

for her mother!

A new poem given!

All signs of you 

on Mother's Day…

Signs you are remembering

from Heaven's shores

and sending your love,

nurturing my grief-struck chords

with your tender heart ~

You're still a part

of our life on planet earth

while you soar the Heavens!

Your heart prints are felt

though you are not "here" ~

gifts of your love

slip through earth's sphere,

Touches of grace

that render your face:

My baby girl ~

Is still a part of my world!

God's in His Heaven,

Making all right with His world.

Thank you, Baby Girl, 

for making your way

known in time for this, 

my special Mother's Day!

Poem - Signs of Love from Heaven - Angie Bennett Prince - 5/13/2012

Picture - http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/ruby-throat-hummingbird/

Wednesday's Woe - Compassion?

Wednesday's Woe

Compassion?

Compassion?

"Get over it" injunctions aimed at me

And my mother's grieving heart ~

Is that your version of empathy 

When my whole world has fallen apart?

Our Lord says, "Bear one another's burdens,"

Yet when you see me with grief burdened down,

Do you reach out to help lift my burden,

Or pile on your judgment and make me drown?

Holidays come, only to spotlight her chair so empty,

Yet, you, my burdens only compound,

Demanding I drive hundreds of miles to your town

And bring my broken heart to your festive party

To play "Merry Holiday" with family

when my Merry...

has been 

buried

in

the 

ground...

Tell me, is this your version of compassion ~

To pound me, when my world is crashing down?

Poem - Compassion? - Angie Bennett Prince, 5/11/2012

Saturday's Sayings - Mother's Day Thoughts between Child-Loss Mother and Child

Saturday's Sayings


Mother's Day Thoughts between Child-Loss Mother and Child

"The Busiest Day in Heaven"

It's the busiest day in Heaven

I'm planning a big surprise

To let you know I love you

And that no one ever dies.

Even though you're down below

And I am up above,

I'm sending you these wishes

And all my angel love.

It's really quite exciting

To plan this big event,

For lots of gifts will come your way,

And all are heaven sent.

First, I'll take a bubble bath-

My splashes might cause some rain,

But knowing all the fun I'm having,

Will help to ease your pain.

Next, I'll get some pictures

In my halo and my gown,

So when you get to Heaven,

You can show them all around.

I have color crayons in Heaven,

And I will draw some star so bright

And place them in the sky today

For you to see tonight.

Then, Jesus will have story time,

And I will sit upon his lap.

He'll tell me all about you

Just before I nap.

I'll wake up full of energy

And play a game or two,

Before I finish sending

All my love to you.

After snack I'll write a song

For all the birds to sing,

And know I've made you happy

With all the joy it brings.

At nighttime I'll be tired,

But I'll still hold you tight.

My arms will wrap around you

And keep you through the night.

And when you finally slumber,I will kneel to pray,

Asking God to bless you

On this special Mother's Day.

Love,

Your Little Angel

~~~

~~~

~~~

In Loving Memory, Child

These words are just for you,

and come with love to say,

We think about you constantly

and miss you more and more each day.

To lose you left us devastated,

but when we feel the pain,

We only have to close our eyes

and you're with us once again.

A special smile,

A special face,

A special child

We can't replace.

Memories are a gift to treasure,

And ours of you child will last forever.

~Author unknown, adapted

~~~

~~~

Pictures and poems thanks to Letters to Heaven, Let Your Light Shine, and Grieving Mothers