christmas, a memorial, and a return

I don't write on here a whole lot.  Like I said it's more about Virginia's story than anything else.  And I feel like I am so fresh in my grief I still have more pain than wisdom.  But, today I feel like writing something.

We just got back recently from a trip to visit our families in North Carolina.  We decided to drive across country instead of fly, which turned out to be an interesting choice as we ran into several situations we weren't expecting.  Long story short I'll just say we left in a camry, drove through some bad weather, and came back with a jeep.  But  we got to see some incredible friends through the drive who really helped us out, and we got to visit our families.

I assumed coming back to this house would be really hard.  I just thought, coming back to where we should be living with our baby and her still not being here, still just us missing her would be too much to take.  But it feels different than I thought it would.  Now granted it's only been a few hours since we've been back and I know some terrible feelings will find me in the next couple days, but I feel her presence here right now and I really love it.  As soon as we walked in we saw the huge pictures we have hanging of her gorgeous face.  And I could still smell the vanilla candle I light in memory of her.  It just feels like she's here with us.  She just never leaves our hearts or minds.  I miss her so much.

We made it through Christmas okay.  Someone made a comment about our family being "complete" for the first time in years since we all got to be home on Christmas.  But I lost it at that comment.  I am very thankful to have my husband home for the holidays, but my family will never be complete.  Never.  My daughter is missing and until we join her in heaven it will certainly not be complete.  I did not enjoy hearing that.

We also decided to have a memorial service for Virginia while we were there, since it's the first time we've been able to travel home since she died.  The service was not what we expected, we didn't know the preacher, but he was suggested to us by some family members and while I'm glad we were able to have the service he just didn't say the things we would have liked to hear.  But we did get to sit with our family for a long while after the actual service, and that part was really a blessing.  To just share her and talk about her with everyone was a good thing.

However I do sort of wish now I had said something at the service.  I even wrote it out before, but I wasn't sure I would get through saying it.  After hearing that preacher, I now think I probably could have because something needed to be said, but it's in the past now.  So now I'll just post some of it here.

For Virginia Jane Phillips

Thank you for being here (or now, reading this).  Thank you for every prayer, and every kind thought.

I want to ask that you help us keep the name and the memory of Virginia alive.  Losing her was an absolute shock, because I had a very healthy pregnancy and we never expected anything to happen to her.  And because she was so young I’ve found most people don’t know what to say, and that’s okay because there aren’t any magic words that will make everything all better.  But she is our child.  She is our first-born child, for our parents she is their first grandchild, and that will never change.  So I want to talk about her, the last thing I would ever want to do is pretend she was never here, and I ask that you not be afraid to acknowledge her, in fact I ask that you never stop acknowledging her.  There will never be a day of my life that I don’t miss her with my entire being, but I will never want to forget my baby.  My wish is that she is always remembered. 

Although talking about her is not the only way we can remember and honor her.  I feel like the best way that I can do that is through having compassion for others and trying to do some good for other people.  Because when John and I walk around in a store, the people who see us don’t know anything about Virginia or our heartache.  And sometimes I can’t help but wonder what kind of things those people have been through that we know nothing about.  So I want to be able to help other people, and do it in honor of my daughter.  Right now that can be kind of difficult, because it has only been a little over two months and finding energy to do anything at all is difficult.  But I truly believe that the good our daughter can do on this earth will not end with her leaving it.  Through me, through John, and through everyone that loves her she will never cease to do good in this world.  So I hope that everyone in this room, including me, can be inspired by our beautiful, wonderful daughter to have compassion and do what we can to help others.

I can say honestly that all this grieving, and now being a bereaved parent, is really hard.  There are absolutely no words to describe how much it hurts, or what it feels like to hold your child knowing that she’s gone.  But the good news is that it’s only us here who suffer.  As parents and grandparents and family and friends that would have seen her grow up we hurt so much because she’s gone.  But from October 22 into eternity Virginia will only know joy and worship.  She is in a far happier and better place than we can even comprehend, and while I will never know or fully understand why she was taken to heaven so soon, I know that she isn’t suffering, and there will come a day whenever God chooses that we will be with her again. 

So what we have to do for now, is just keep going.  We have to find every way we can to remember her and honor her.  We have to pray for strength to get through all the pain of her loss and reach a place where there is only love for her.  Because ultimately we only feel that pain because we love her, and that love for her is what really matters.   So although it is easier said than done, and the journey will be long and hard, we just have to keep going.

I really am honestly grateful for those of you here (and reading this), and for the help we had in making this service for her possible.  So I want to thank you for coming and thank God for the gift of this beautiful child.  And I want to send all the love I have to Virginia in Heaven.  I found this quote one day by another bereaved mother from a book she wrote,

“Each child is a gift, and I am proud that we cooperated with God in the creation of a new soul for eternity.  Although not with me, my baby lives.”

Thank you

I do wish now I had said it, but now it can be read.  Thank you for reading her story.