Our Precious Daughters...

I love you Sweetie. You truly are a precious gift.
Taken: December 2010

I chose to share this picture of my daughter today for a very specific reason. 

Not only do I remember being in the exact moment that my shutter closed, I remember how very proud I was of her that day.  

Look at her beautiful face. 

Taken more than three years ago, as she approached my husband and our dogs, you could tell she was truly comfortable in her own skin. She was glowing: with confidence.

My point today is that I vividly remember our precious daughter and her entire 18th year. 

Extremely shy by nature, she had taken a placement through school and was participating with them in the annual Santa Claus Parade. She’d had a tough 17th year. After a terrible bullying incident that lasted months, she begged us to change schools. We finally agreed. She transferred in June and by September she had started her life anew. 

Her 18th summer brought her first serious boyfriend into our home and she truly discovered that hard work equated to monetary reward. A quiet leader in so many ways, she raised her hand to spearhead the homefront; and to this day, she's never once wavered with her message to the rest of us about the importance of family and our staying together. She truly is amazing and I love her very much.

Why so reflective? My heart is heavy and my eyes are damp today. At 2 am this morning I awoke from a deep sleep and I wandered into my office to see if my fear had come to fruition and it had. After a short battle with an unexpected illness, my friend Dodi’s daughter died last night. She was in her 18th year.

Staci and Brianna had never met. Their paths had never crossed; nor did they even know that their mothers knew one and other. As I sit here in shock, I can’t help but stare at this picture of my beautiful daughter at 18 years of age.  I can't begin to fathom just how shattered my heart (and my world) would be if she'd passed in the night. 

Rest in Peace young Brianna…. You were a very brave girl but your pain is finally over.