Thankful for your kindness!

As you all know a lot us have experienced the loss of some of our friends and family on top of the loss of our babies. Many of them don't understand our grief and instead of being there through all of the good AND bad, decide to leave because our grief makes them uncomfortable. This is why it's especially meaningful when someone who knows not of our pain [specifically baby loss] comes forward with words of comfort and encouragement. You truly learn to appreciate people so much more through tragic times like these and many others so much less. Today I got something in the mail from my Tutu's best friend's daughter (Patty). We've recently been emailing back and forth ever since she told me she came across my blog while looking Leila's name up. She told me "...the way you write about her it's almost as though I still have a chance to know who she was and is and the things you and Leila should be doing." I loved that she said this, because through my writing I do want people to get to know Leila like I did. She wrote me a letter to explain the gift she sent. I opened the package to find a beautiful children's book called "I Wish I Were A Butterfly".



I read the story to Mustafa and I started crying. Patty explained in her letter that from reading my blog she remembered I had a connection to butterflies and dragonflies and found this book and immediately thought of me and Leila. She said she thought this would be a book I would have read to Leila and could still read to her. :D HOW THOUGHTFUL IS THAT?! Well that is EXACTLY what I plan to do. I will read this book to Leila every week on Fridays. As you all might know, I still feel absolutely terrible about never reading to Leila while she was in the NICU. Reading to her now is something I would have never thought of on my own, but thanks to Patty I can now read to my baby. I know a lot of "outsiders" might find this strange, but it is something I feel helps me connect to my daughter. I don't expect anyone to understand though.

I can't thank you enough Patty, you truly made me feel SO special today. Leila loves it too! :D We love you Auntie Patty and we are SO thankful for your kindness!

BY THE WAY GUYS, Patty isn't blood related but as we all know blood means NOTHING. She IS my family, more like an Aunt to me and as you all know family means the world to me as I'm sure it does to you all too! Oh and a sidenote, I have to admit, I was a bit jealous when she started having kids of her own lol. My Tutu always took me to Yaya's house (Auntie Patty's mama) so we've spent a lot of time together and I love that whole family [my Hanai family] to death!

P.S. Hanai in Hawaiian means adopted...not literally in this case but you all get the point :D