Goodbye Sweet Girl

I know my last post said "Blah".
It's still pretty blah, but never so blah that I won't take the time to honor the memory
of one of our beloved children.

Our sweet girl left us last night.

She had so many close calls in her short life, we hoped that this would be another.
That she would again defy all the predictions about her. That she would again rally.
That she would again come home to the people who loved her.
But, this time, it was not to be.

She did go home, just not back to St. Mary's.
We won't see her incredibly sweet face anymore except in our hearts & memories.

What I wouldn't give to see her as she is now - whole, not struggling for every breath,
laughing as she runs to greet the angels.

Goodbye sweetheart.


(I haven't had to put one of these up in a very long time. That in itself is a blessing.)

A Different Kind Of Goodbye

I think you all know by now that when you see this picture . . .


. . . you know that St. Mary's has lost one of our beloved children to heaven.

Problem is, that's not the only kind of goodbye we have saying more & more of this past year.
When our kids turn 21, they have to move.
They cease to become kids, at least by Medicaid guidelines,
and they become adults that have to go to another place to live.

We have a lot of kids who have turned, or are getting ready to turn, 21.

It's kind of like sending them off to college,
except they won't be coming home on weekends and holidays
with bags of laundry and requests to borrow the car.
We know they're not coming home again.

This breaks our hearts in an equal, but very different way.
Because we know, we KNOW to the very depths of our souls,
that no one will love them and take care of them like we did.


That's our story and we're sticking to it.

Jamie left us yesterday morning.
She came to us when she was a very small little girl,
and I've known her pretty much the whole time she has been there.
Soft, dark hair the texture of silk threads.
Large, expressive brown eyes.
A ready smile for anyone who would talk to her.
An even bigger smile for anyone who would sing to her.
And you know what that means.
I live to sing, so I spend a lot of time crooning her favorite song to her.
Over and over and over and over and . . . she never got tired of it.
Served a dual purpose, really.
Not only did I get to see that beautiful smile, but it also made therapy go a lot smoother.
I could get away with a lot more PT stuff with a few songs attached.

Yesterday, while she was waiting for the bus that would take her away from us,
I sang her favorite to her one more time.
"This Old Man".
Could only sing it through once though.
There seemed to be something stuck in my throat.

Goodbye

We were blessed to have you with us for a long time.
You fought your battles with courage and good humor that inspired us all,
but it was time to go home.
Watch out for your family now, okay?



Somewhere a journey begins at the end of the worldly existence we know,
Somewhere a path stretches over the stars, and rivers of memories flow.
Somewhere a silence is heard far away, and the brightness of day fills the night,
Where the trials of life are resolved into peace when a soul finds its way to the Light.

Goodbye Sweet Boy

That this little angel lived at all is a testament to the wonders of modern medicine.
That he lived as long as he did is a testament to the exceptional love and care he got at St. Mary's.

And, no matter how long - or briefly - we were blessed to have them, they leave their legacy with all of us.

Somewhere a journey begins at the end of the worldly existence we know,
Somewhere a path stretches over the stars, and rivers of memories flow.
Somewhere a silence is heard far away, and the brightness of day fills the night,
Where the trials of life are resolved into peace when a soul finds its way to the Light.

Goodbye Beloved Boy

Sometimes our kids don't always grow up to leave the nest when they turn 21.

Sometimes we can't hold on to them, no matter how hard we try.

D and his sister both came to us when they were very young, and they were crazy about each other. Sometimes what affected one affected the other. After a time, in spite of the outstanding medical care we provide, he and his sister required more intensive services than we are equipped for. They both had to leave us for the pediatric unit of a long-term care hospital, where they stayed together as roommates, but where they each required a ventilator to breathe.

We wanted to keep them here, but their respiratory status was just too shaky.

We were able to keep in touch with him and his sister because the program that provides our educational services also provides the educational services at the hospital.

Even though he didn't live here anymore (and I know I've said this before), he was always ours in our hearts.

Today D's lungs gave out, and he died this afternoon.

He and his sister were very close, and now we worry for her.



Somewhere a journey begins at the end
of the worldly existence we know,
Somewhere a path stretches over the stars,
and rivers of memories flow.
Somewhere a silence is heard far away,
and the brightness of day fills the night,
Where the trials of life are resolved into peace
when a soul finds its way to the Light.

Goodbye Matthew

Matthew came to St. Mary's when he was just a very little boy,
and he stayed with us until he turned 21.
Just a couple months ago, he moved to an adult facility.

When our kids leave the Home, we want to keep in touch.
We want to know how they are doing, just as if they were our own kids.

A couple days ago, we received the message that Matty had moved again,
This time into the arms of the angels.



http://www.guardianangelssantee.org/images/AngelChild.gif

Somewhere a journey begins at the end
of the worldly existence we know,
Somewhere a path stretches over the stars,
and rivers of memories flow.
Somewhere a silence is heard far away,
and the brightness of day fills the night,
Where the trials of life are resolved into
peace when a soul finds it’s way to the
Light.

ps - I did not write the poem. It was brazenly stolen from a greeting card.