I just returned from the funeral of my 23 year old great niece at 1 AM this morning. It was a quick trip but I'm glad I had the chance to go to the funeral, be there for the family, and support my brother during all of this.
I didn't know Laura all that well. She was born with severe autism and had pretty bad seizures throughout her life. Even with all that going against her, she graduated from high school. She lived at Tammy Lynn Center (http://www.tammylynncenter.org/), an organization that offers educational, residential, and family support services for children with special needs. So many of the staff members came to her funeral and one woman talked about Laura's life. Her eulogy was so much better than that given by the preacher, as you could tell that she'd spent many years caring for Laura.
I can't imagine the pain my niece must be in right now, and has been in this week since Laura died. To have to bury your child must be the worst thing a parent can endure.
All I wanted to do was get home to my child after the funeral! I didn't think the 9+ hour drive would ever end last night. I was so glad when I got home to find that, once again, Callen was in our bed asleep. Bo said she just wouldn't go to bed in her bed last night, so he brought her into our bed. Maybe Callen knew that her mommy was going to need to have her close last night when I got home. Even as tired as I was at 1 AM, I laid in bed for over an hour just watching my sweet baby sleeping. I didn't want to take my eyes off her.
As my niece said to me before we left yesterday, go home and cherish your baby as you never know how long you'll have with her. I hope we can all cherish all the moments we have with our children, our families, and our friends. . .
15 years ago
1 comment:
Shelia, I'm so sorry for your loss. I wish I had read the post sooner. I know what you mean about getting back to Callen that night. There have even been movies that make me want to go and hold Marley to make sure she's o.k. Us Mother's are such saps.
Post a Comment