Every time she prays at dinner, she still whispers, "Help Grandpa not to die." He's been gone over a month now. 48 days, to be exact. But her 3-year-old heart still believes. Yesterday, I came around the corner in Tim's parents house and there she was in front of his portrait, talking to him. Her […]
The one thing people say about you the most is that you are "such a happy baby." But they don't know the half of it. You are always happy. Smiling widely, bringing delight to the world. Your laughter is like sunshine personified. People also remark about your big beautiful blue eyes and your sweet persona. […]
You slipped away on a Monday night in September. Tim was there at the hospital, in tears. He later screamed in his car until his voice was coarse. Simultaneously, I was at home, weeping and holding Audrey on my hip. "Why, God, why?" Six-year-old Kayla walked up and put her arm around my waist, "It's […]
It was the final day of your dance class. The parents and grandparents sat in folding chairs. You and your older sister were dressed in fancy leotards, sitting in a circle with the ten other ballerinas. Your strawberry blonde teacher led the class in elegant stretches, lifting her arms into the air. She went around […]
The night before her 6th birthday, I lay awake as mothers sometimes do. I worried that her party wouldn't be as special as she is. After a quick calculation, my husband and I noted that we probably spent $30 on the entire party. I had fallen prey to the idea that the higher the price […]
For your birthday, we bought you a bicycle off craigslist. Shiny pink with periwinkle blue, it glittered in the garage. It wasn't brand new, but you loved it just the same - hopping from one foot to the other as your dad tightened the headset. Long and lean, you are limber and strong. When I […]