Never Forgotten

Baby feet, a photo by Daniel Hurst Photography on Flickr.

Anyone who has mourned a child can tell you that it is a special feeling. It is something you cannot explain to someone who has not experienced it. 

Keith and I have been following a Facebook Page called One Love For 80. 

His mother is from the next town over and at least one of our friends knows her. 

I am not going into Aiden's history, because you can see that for yourself if you want. (Aiden's nickname is "80".)

What I want to tell you is this: We never stop learning. 

Aiden's Mother made a beautiful comment the other day about how if 80 does go to Heaven, she will still be his Mom. 

That really struck me! 

I had two children, many years ago: they would be in their 40s now. Over the years, I have struggled to try to know children but I never really felt comfortable with them. 

I was a Mother, but my children died: Robbie at 3-1/2 weeks and Carrie Jane at 6-1/2 months. 

So, when I realized what 80's Mother said, I started to process these old losses to realize that I AM A MOTHER. 

Because I believe and especially because I have read books on people who were clinically dead and came back to relate their experiences in Heaven . . . now I believe that I will see my children again. 

And . . . I am starting to realize that I am Robbie and Carrie Jane's mother. 

What we have once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes a part of us. -Helen Keller

Forgiveness - A Gift To Ourselves

cross - plasma - Christian Wallpaper desktop background, a photo by † David Gunter on Flickr.

The Bible has many references to forgiveness, but did you ever really think about how a forgiving mentality can get you through life much easier?

As I get older, I have come to realize that every time I can forgive someone, it makes me feel calmer, quieter and more relaxed. 

From a practical standpoint, it is useless to blame problems we have on the way others have treated us in the past. 

There is no school where parents are trained. They make mistakes; they have high expectations of their children. They sometimes say mean things without thinking. Years later, it only hurts us to replay these comments over and over in our minds. If we still blame our parents, we are still causing ourselves pain. 

We marry for love and divorce because things were not as we expected them to be or perhaps because someone "better" or different entered our or our partner's life. If we play over and over in our minds the things that went wrong, it diminishes our lives today. We need to remember the good things and get on with our lives today.

Someone is having a bad day and they take it out on us. It is like they are transferring how they are feeling to us. 

Each time we are able to forgive someone, it just makes us feel that much better. Yes, I know we do not always "forgive and forget" but if we move on from the hurt that person caused us, we can achieve great happiness.