Dear Elise,
One month ago tonight you came into our lives and changed us forever.
We fell in love with you again the moment we saw you, just as we had so many months before. You were perfect in every way, from your tiny fingers and toes to your head of dark hair. We loved getting to know you and just looking at your beautiful face. Did you know your eyebrows are just like mine? They end abruptly somewhere in the middle and restart just above where they left off, two brushstrokes of the Creator's hand. Did you know your forehead is just like your father's? Broad and distinctive, a classic family trait.
In the short time we spent with you, you gave us so much joy. We never knew how much our hearts could open, how the rest of the world could fall away when we were with you. We gave you all the love we could, every moment of every day we had together, and we hope you felt it. We want you to know we loved you every minute of your life. Oh, how we wish we had more time with you. There were so many things we wanted to experience with you, so many hopes and dreams for you in this life.
Elise, we still struggle to understand why you were called home to God so soon. We know that He needed you and that He doesn't make mistakes, but that doesn't make us miss you any less. We know we may never have all the answers and that will have to be fine. We do know we are different because of you. We listen more and criticize less, we try to talk with God more, truly experience nature, and value our relationships with people. We are more patient and less petty.
Our lives will never be the same, little girl, and that is a good thing. And even though you are with God, we will always be your parents and we will never forget the precious 4 days that we had together as a family.
Love,
Mom
9 comments:
Steph,
It's hard to believe a month has passed.... Jason and I cherish the memories we had holding her and loving her.
She will never be forgotten.... she will always be our little niece Elise.
Love,
Megan and Jason
what a beautiful letter - We miss her very much.
Dear Stephanie,
I read your beautiful letter to Elise and I am so touched, so very touched by your love for your baby. I am sure she is touched too, and realizes how loved she is, in that somewhere, very near
realm where love and faith and caring count more than anything else, even death.
Elise was a gift, a blessing, if only for 4 days. You and AJ are also a blessing to all of us. I, especially, am very fortunate to know and love the 3 of you.
All my love, all the time,
mama
Stephanie and AJ,
All day yesterday I celebrated the month we all came to know Elise. In her own little way she brought so much joy to our family. You were so very blessed to have those precious moments even if they were fleeting. I pray you find comfort with each other and know that we are holding you two as tight as we can.
We love you,
Al and Liz
Stephanie,
I thought of you yesterday, knowing that Elise would be one month old. Yesterday was the 6 month anniversary of Gavin's passing and in just 3 short days he would be 7 months old. I know the day must have been difficult, the anniversaries are always the hardest. I continue to pray for you and your family. Treasure all of the memories of your sweet Elise. She knows just how very loved she is. Continue to be patient with yourself, let yourself "feel" all the feelings. Your grief will take time to work through, God's healing is not on a timetable.
Amanda
Dear Stephanie and AJ:
We love you both and we love our precious Elise. Your letter is filled with so much warmth. Even though God needed your beautiful angel, Elise knows how much she meant to you both and to all of us. There isn't a day that goes by that we don't think about our little granddaughter, our first grandchild. We long to hold her again and talk to her. We cherish the time we had with her.
Love, Mom and Dad
Dear Stephanie and AJ,
Everyone at Cincinnati SportsMedicine continues to think about you and wishes you the best. Elise, you, your families and those closest to you are in our prayers. We are definitely with you in spirit if we can't be with you in Baltimore. As we recently celebrated the feast of All Soul's Day in our church to remember all loved ones and friends who have passed away we said special prayers for Elise. I hope that you continue to share your stories because they show how very much Elise was loved and cherished and how important she was and will always be to you. I hope you can continue to find awe and joy in the life you created and the precious time you were able to be together as a family. We love you guys, Linda and Joe and the CSMOC family
Continuing to pray for your and your husband. May God hold you close and grant you healing.
Dear Stephanie,
My heart truly aches reading of your loss. Your words to Elise are pure and beautiful, and there is simply no doubt she felt the outpouring of love from you, your husband, and the rest of her family during her all too brief time on this earth. A love as powerful as that you hold for her will be with her always and is a blessing to be cherished.
When I learned of my own son's heart defect a few days after his birth & when he underwent open heart surgery at 5 months of age, I felt just an inkling of the panic and helplessness of being powerless to protect a life more precious to you than even your own. I can not begin to understand the depth of your loss, but I hold you in my prayers and know that you have the strength to face this grief, though at times it must seem completely overwhelming.
Thank you for sharing this piece of yourself. Elise was a beautiful little angel, and her story reminds us all of what is truly important in this life. You are fortunate to know the incredible love that only a parent can feel for his or her child, and Elise was certainly fortunate to have been surrounded so completely by love.
Ginger (Knox 97)
Post a Comment