At my dentist’s office today, I learned that the insurance expert Staci, had a baby girl a few weeks ago. Sadly, she only lived for 12 hours. Her lungs did not fully develop.  As I shared in previous posts (“facing death,and living” and “a godsend, so cherish),” the death of a child is a parent’s worst nightmare. I could not imagine what the parents of a newborn must feel, having gone through 9 months of waiting to hold their infant, whose life is then cut short.  And this wasn’t Staci’s first loss; she’d had another child who died.

I thought it amazing that Staci looked as peaceful as she did, so soon after her baby’s passing. Perhaps the hardest days are behind her, although I’m not so sure the loss of a child can be easily relegated to the past. It was a blessing that Staci’s sorrow was cushioned somewhat, by the compassion and support of Dr. Quickstad and the others. With their help she is moving forward, with a smile on her face.

As I left, Staci handed me a slip of paper about Shelbi Sue Ray’s passing on July 26. It read, in part, “Sadly her time here with us was brief, but we are grateful for the time we had with her. In her short life, she touched many hearts and no one will ever look at life the same way again. She was so beautiful and her pure soul was encompassing. She is now with God, where she will never feel pain again and she will remain forever young. …Shelbi was preceded in death by her infant sister, Hunter Jean Ray.”

from my lips to God’s ears, a prayer…hugmamma.