AS I ENTER and exit my bedroom there is a portrait of you in the hands of your Uncle Ron, Rayleigh. I’ve grown accustomed to it being there. It makes me think about your life every time I see it.
One day last week I read in an article that the kings of Israel were instructed to write their own copy of the Torah. To copy the scriptures with one’s own hand is an effective way to laser God’s Word onto the heart and into the mind.
So, I began copying the Gospel of John, Rayleigh. Only a few words into his writing, I paused to reflect on this: “Eternal life is in Him (Jesus), and THIS LIFE GIVES LIGHT to all mankind. HIS LIFE IS THE LIGHT that penetrates the darkness—and the darkness can never extinguish it.”
After work today, I went home and changed out of my work clothes. The shirt I blindly selected off the rack made me smile, And as I exited the closet, I saw your picture. I think it was no coincidence that I chose that shirt on the same day I read and wrote about being the light.
The inscription on the shirt, “be the light,” was chosen by an organization that supported your parents in their time of darkness. The slogan inspires me to talk about my journey—and you.
Your family trekked to Marietta for our annual group pictures this past weekend.
The venue was an antebellum estate which is now a family park. It was a beautiful setting. We enjoyed the warmth of each other’s company and the glow of the Autumn afternoon sunshine. Later, as I chatted with your mother and Aunt Mel,
you came to mind—because, well, it’s October. And you couldn’t be with us. The heartache of losing you may fade over time, but the emptiness still haunts. Your mother reminded me of what I already knew, “She would be FOUR this month!”
A mother can never forget anything about her babies. And her love only grows richer with time.
My best therapy is writing what’s on my mind. Fortunately, I am no stranger to a blank page. Today I am inspired to be the light, like you, my dear.
Rayleigh, Marmy and I learned this year, from one of Marmy’s nurse friends, that your story, your legacy, has lived on at Northside Hospital’s Center for Women. Marmy’s friend is a Neonatal ICU Nurse there and was amazed to hear of your story when she attended an inservice in which you and your parents, and other parents who have experienced the same situation were spotlighted. Your light briefly flickered in the recovery room, as your parents savored every radiant moment God gave them to remember you. But your light still beams because of the ONE who gave it, and it gives light not just to your family, but to all who hear your story and the journey your mother and dad traveled to have you, your brother, and your baby sister.
To have breathed only a little, the one who gave you that time to live proves again that with Him shining through us, even the least among us, we may all glow brightly in this dark place and share His wonderful light and life with many while we live.
This saying has never meant more to me than now: "It is indeed better to light one candle than to curse the darkness."
Let there be light!
For those who may wish to learn more and/or donate to this wonderful cause, click the link for more information: https://give.northside.com/about-us/perinatal-bereavement-fund-h-e-a-r-t-strings/
Copyright 2022, Gary Landerfelt, MyPericope.com
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