Saying Goodbye

We said goodbye to Victoria yesterday.

That was difficult on many levels.

This family is new to the city, although they have a lot of family in the area, for which I'm glad.

Micah is a friend of Victoria's brother, so we know him the best.

He phoned to tell Micah when his sister passed away, and we met his parents for the first time when we brought flowers that afternoon.

It's never easy to lose a child. It doesn't matter if they are born with the things that eventually claim their life. It doesn't matter if you've spent their whole life grieving, and preparing for the day they're gone. The fact is, when your child... or your spouse, or your father or mother, or sister or brother... dies they leave an un-fillable hole, and no amount of mental or emotional preparation can make it any easier to say goodbye.

So, we went, to bring Micah to be there for his friend. It may have been a little awkward for both of them, but I'm hoping that it will make the boy's return to school a little easier.

It's going to be a hard transition for these people. They've spent nearly 14 years living from surgery to surgery, and crisis to crisis. They've poured their energy and love into their daughter, and now she's gone and they'll have to reinvent themselves. Rediscover who they are without her.