The lesson that you left

Sweet little Marie,

Grandpa has taken too long to write these words down
Grandpa has listened to his heart and heard this letter coming since you left
Grandpa is nervous and trembling at even the thought of writing your name

Without even knowing it, you’ve left our family (your family) with lessons for a lifetime.
When we learned that you were coming, we learned patience, wonder and anticipation
We sat together and imagined what you might become
We talked about you non-stop and counted down the days
You taught us that there is power in our imaginations, that there is strength in our hope

As the months passed, we bought toys and clothes and planned every detail that we could think of
The hospital on speed-dial, the strange snacks, and still the wonder about this little girl and just who she might be.

Then, the unthinkable, the unfair, the unimaginable, the cruel, the harsh, the crushing weight of fate.
News travels fast in our family, and when we learned that you hadn’t made it, a wave washed over all of us.

​A wave of despair
A wave of loss
A wave of fear
A wave of sorrow
A wave of unanswerable questions, and of immeasurable grief

​and it’s in that final word that we all found your greatest lesson…

Grief and the amount that we must carry is nothing more than the cost of love

Without even an introduction, we (our family, your family) have loved, and still love you little Marie, and for this important lesson, we are forever in your debt.

Love,
Your Grandpa

---