Dear Jess,
Happy Birthday Sweetie. It would’ve been your 28th. Hard to believe.
Mom is still in Florida, trying to reclaim the joy in life. It’s been missing since you were stolen away too soon. I love her dearly. It’s the first time since you were born that we’re apart on your birthday. Watch over her a little extra today.
You bonded us in life, and you bonded us deeper in death, in a different way. Shared experience. It’s still the three of us, and you’re still ‘Jessie in the middle’.
If we are on schedule, we’re leaving The Hub on The Do Good Bus right now (I wrote this yesterday). About two dozen of us from Delta Defense, FRIENDS Inc, the Volunteer Center, and L>h are joining together for your cause. We’re headed all over Washington County to place posters in local businesses. They have your picture on them. We hope they’ll make victim/survivors and offenders call a hotline and end the violence.
Can’t think of a better way to spend your birthday.
Of course if you were here we’d be doing something. But you’re not. Violence is forever. We can heal, we can forgive, and we can use it to grow stronger and more loving. But we can’t undo it and start over.
We know you’re here Sweetie. Sometimes wish I could shred the damn veil, but I trust our Maker. You’re most safe and free and joyful in His hands anyway, my beautiful butterfly.
So, I wait patiently until my time comes, until our time comes again, loving you always, leaning into the Light the darkness can’t overcome. Mom and I love you with everything in us, even more now than when that little purple head came out 28 years ago and you looked right at me. Your open eyes startled me then. I’d never seen a birth; didn’t know babies could do that. I should’ve known right then … you always did have open eyes … to go with your open heart.
Keep flying free butterfly, and we’ll see you on the other side of life.
Dad.
