So long in coming;
Its arrival delayed by Love.
Careful, daily, precise, repetitive Love.
Observed and followed by nervous trainees.
It wasn’t supposed to be this long;
A stark reminder that we were never in charge.
As days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months,
Cupid traced our steps and had time to pierce our hearts.
Prayers and thoughts and thoughts and prayers,
But what to ask, what to say, what to do?
This route may contain unmarked or unnamed roads along the way.
Many as it turns out. Many.
But Love was the Navigator, Love was the balm, Love was the glue.
If our tiny sojourner was strong, we must be;
If her parents were strong, we must be;
If sisters and uncles and cousins were strong, we must be.
And day by day, Team Lilly emerged from the pain.
We rejoiced with each smile, each laugh, each sigh.
They heard the rushing current but focused on their orders.
Next bottle, next diaper, next swaddle.
The journey was about experiences, memories, photos.
None were avoided, none were shortened, none were stopped.
Noisy restaurants, toes in the ocean, walks on the beach, rides in the car,
Every day an enviable outfit, new visitors, fresh air and sunshine.
Spock said hold your baby, we never put her down.
Spock said sing to your baby, we never stopped.
Spock said to mothers, you know more than you think you do;
Our daughter proved him right.
Love can bring you into this world and ease your way.
Love can fill your days but not reverse your pathology.
Her smiles scattered the shadows, but they returned and lengthened.
They filled the room; they blocked the sun.
Escape from her earthly bonds, an assault on all four senses.
Rushing winds are rarely quiet.
They pick everything up. They put everything down somewhere else.
“Do not go gentle into that good night.”
One hundred fifty-eight dawns, one hundred and fifty-seven setting suns.
Too short a life, but too strong a bond to ever be broken.
Immersed in an ocean of Love, we bobbed, and laughed, and gulped for air.
It was Love that laid us upon the shore.
Final Note: May God Bless Lillian Rives. May God Bless her brave parents John and Brittany. May God bless our families, our Bishop, our clergy, and the countless people who supported us. May God Bless the caregivers at Wake Med and Duke and the earthly angels of Transitions LifeCare. May God Bless us all and guide us to peace.
May we remember that it is not the length, but the depth, and that the end is just the beginning.