We love you.
Have you heard us say that before?
I say it every day,
Feel it every hour,
Pray it every minute.
Have you heard me?
Do you miss us as much as we miss you?
What color is your hair?
How pudgy are your arms now?
I try to imagine you each day;
Wondering if you have your daddy’s hair or mine;
Is it his blue eyes that look out from under your brow,
Or my dark green ones.
Did you inherit my porcelain skin
Or did his beige tone win out on your chubby cheeks?
I wish I knew.
I wish I could see.
I hope you receive your hug every morning;
I send one to you in my prayers,
Imagining your little arms around my neck,
Your cupid lips smacking my cheek.
Do you send me kisses?
Do you send me your hugs?
Do your curls spring and bounce
As you skip along Heaven’s floor?
I imagine they do.
I imagine you follow Jesus,
Pulling at his hand,
Smiling up at him with a precocious glance.
I bet you make him laugh.
In fact, I know you do,
For you probably have
Your daddy’s sense of humor.
And, I bet you already sing with the other angels,
Harmonies and melodies
Pouring from your baby voice;
Praising the God who cares for you now.
Do you remember our time
Together?
Your tiny, tiny body (so small)
Inside of mine?
I tried to care for you,
The best I could, the very best
That I could.
Because, I loved you.
I was proud of you;
Proud that you had decided
To be my daughter
Proud that you were mine.
Did you know your daddy talks about you
All the time —
At home and
At work.
Yes, he talks to his customers,
Sometimes,
About you.
Telling them about you.
There was a woman,
Another person who had a loss,
Who said she couldn’t wait
To meet you . . . someday.
She wants to meet you,
Telling your daddy,
“She must have been
A fighter.”
You were, weren’t you?
A fighter?
You must have been.
You must have fought hard.
You fought to stay.
Fought to stay with us;
Fought to live with us;
Fought to love us.
We love you.
I hope you hear us;
We say it every day,
Pray it every hour,
Feel it every minute.
