Thankful

I really have no intention of bringing anyone down today, but I have to share this story with you. It’s very moving and it means something special to me in spite of how gut-wrenching it is to read. One of the photography bloggers I follow has always been very open about the loss of her child a few years ago. His name was Gavin and he died of whooping cough when he was only a few months old. I remember the first time I read his story and how the tears were running down my face in streams. Well, Gavin’s 2nd birthday passed this week and she wrote a few different posts about the pain of trying to get through it in one piece. In one of them, she had a link to the blog she wrote on his first birthday, complete with several beautiful pictures of him the day he was born. When I read her words last year they pierced my heart like an arrow, and this year was certainly no different.  The moment you hear them in your mind you feel them reverberate in your heart and soul.  You want to run home and hug your child as tight as you can and never, ever let him go. I don’t ever, ever, ever want to take for granted the precious gift that I have of being able to share in his life every single day. I get to stroke his hair, tickle his sides, hold him tight, kiss him goodnight, and hear his little voice proclaim "I love you, Mama".  For that I am infinitely thankful and lucky beyond measure. These are a few of the words that I found so beautiful and inspiring.  I can't get them out of my head and I will always remember them for times when I need a gut check.  I hope I am never guilty of not appreciating the miracle of my son.  What a touching reminder to savor the little moments you share with your children.
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Had I known your days were numbered,
I’d have stopped and counted every breath you took.

Had I known how quickly the clock was ticking,
I’d have lay awake nights simply to watch you sleep.

Had I known the fleeting presence of your mortal life on the vast radar of eternity,
I’d have put the world on pause to hold you against my heart.

-Natalie Norton
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I know I'll be hugging my baby a little closer tonight.