Nineteen years ago, on June 19, 1990, my friend and I delivered our babies on the same day. I had a healthy 8 pound boy. She had a tiny baby girl with Trisomy 18. Naomi Ann lived two days. I wish I had asked to see her while we were still in the same hospital. She died two days later. On my son's first birthday I wrote this poem for my friend.
FOR NATHAN
There's a little girl in heaven
Who is just about your size,
She plays peek-a-boo with Jesus
And watches angles fly.
And when she needs to have a hug,
She climbs on Jesus' knee,
He wraps His arms around her
And loves her perfectly.
Sometimes he tells her stories
About her mom and dad,
And how much her family loves her,
I know that makes her glad.
Jesus cares for children,
So if she ever cries,
He takes her up into His arms
And gently dries her eyes.
I watch you growing bigger,
And as you learn to stand,
She learns to walk in heaven
By holding Jesus' hand.
Nathan, Happy Birthday. I'm sorry we didn't get to celebrate yet this year. Give us a few days and we'll be enjoying that strawberry shortcake again. Marcia, I still love you. Karen, thank you for the timely reminder and for visiting my blog.
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This poem brings tears to my eyes every time I read it.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Nate!
Happy Birthday Nate, I baked you chocolate chip cookies, unfortunately CR ate them. :D
ReplyDeleteMartha,
ReplyDeleteThat is so very beautiful!
It is so well written. I am sending it to my daughter who will appreciate it as much as I do.
Hope you don't mind a little cut and paste.
I will give you the credit and I know she will not publish it.
Joy
Thank you, Joy. I don't mind. I guess they aren't worth much unless they are shared. If someone is blessed, it is worth the sharing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful poem. It amazes me that you found the time, energy and creativity to write that on the day that you delivered Nate.
ReplyDeleteOh whoops. I just noticed that it was his first birthday - not the day of his birth.
ReplyDeleteOh, that is beautiful. Thank you for sharing that with us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for allowing me to publish this on Nathan's Prayer. I'll repeat what I said on my website: We have become such a throw-away society that we fail to see the beauty in the short lives of the Eliots and Naomis of the world. I love stories like this because they teach us to cherish the gifts God gives us, especially the imperfect ones.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a poignant reminder that every life is precious.