Life Lesson Month of July: Blog 4- Letters from Mom & Mimi

Dear Ellie,

Usually I start my writing in the early mornings, but these past two weeks have been such a whirlwind that I thought I had more time than I actually do.  At this very moment it is 8:00 pm on Thursday (the night before my blog entry is due) and I realized that I have not yet started.  Somewhat frantic and fearful of my pending deadline, I took a few moments to reflect on what I have learned during the days leading up to your brother Kyle’s 5K/Walk, the actual day of Kyle’s Walk, and the time after Kyle’s Walk.  And my lesson learned Ellie was not a difficult one at all, but rather joyful.  Here it is:

Life Lessons Learned #21: You are never too old to give or receive an ‘I Love You.’

Ellie, it was so amazing to have family and friends from near and far visit and re-connect.  There were so many ‘hugs’ given out, so many ‘hi’s and ‘kisses’ exchanged, and so many ‘smiles’ present.  It was a wonderful time-frame to witness.  Our loss of a beautiful baby boy had miraculously turned into a positive.  And even though the pain is still very much present, Kyle has shown us how to rise above.  But losing someone so tiny and so quickly was a crucial reminder to never forget what is truly important in life.  And that is to say three simple words “I Love You” each and every day and as often as possible.  I think Kyle heard those words no less than a million times in his eleven days of life, and now he is bringing those words right back to us on a daily basis through his purpose.  

I wrote a poem a while back and I think it fits perfectly with my thoughts of these past two weeks.  I would like to share it with you Ellie.  Here it is.

I Love You’s

Children need hugs and kisses

And lots of I Love You’s.

When at their best or at their worst

Show patience.  It’s a virtue.

Children need our attention

And lots of I Love You’s.

To hold, to talk, to play a game

These actions name just a few.

Children need some time with us

And lots of I Love You’s.

So take a break and be with them

It’s what we need to do.

Children need for us to listen

And lots of I Love You’s.

Just like us they want to be heard

So listen and answer on queue.

Children need hugs and kisses

And lots of I Love You’s.

It doesn’t matter if they’re young or old

They need to feel loved through and through.

By: Mickey Russell

So I guess the lesson learned this week Ellie-bean is that even though God has given each of us a “lifetime” to live, and whether that may mean minutes, days, or many, many years, always say those three meaningful words “I Love You” as often as you can.  You will never regret it El.  They give each of us meaning; a sense of worth.   They give each of us feeling; a sense of being wanted and needed.  And they give each of us hope; a sense of purpose and a closer connection to Him.

I Love You my precious Ellie-bean.

Mimi