A Spring Letter to Daniel

          Daniel,

              I often go long stretches of time in acceptance of God's plan that you were called to Him and the rest of us are to remain here on Earth for some undetermined time.   I take great comfort in that you are at home with God and that my father, whom you knew well here, is with you, and that there are other relatives you did not know here on Earth who are there and who care about you.   Most of the time I am well, and I busy myself with the work on your animals, and the work of launching your brothers and sister from our nest.   We still mention you and laugh at things you said and did while you were here.
            Every once in awhile I see a child, or a child sees me, and sometimes they seem to seek me out.  Sometimes it's a child who has that inexplicable something that you so clearly had.  It was an energy, an exuberance, a joy of living that most people, even most children do not have.  You always enjoyed everything, from a Summer Day, to a quick rain, or an ice cream cone, almost as if you had read about it, knew all about it, but had not yet experienced it for yourself.  In those moments where one of those children talks to me, or sometimes even hugs me, I am reminded that the energy that you had returns to God, but that there is still joy and wonderful expectation in the world.  I also take these encounters to mean that God is allowing you to send greetings in the form of a child who is already here on Earth.
             Sometimes, that same hurt that came in the beginning sneaks up on me.  Sometimes, my soul feels raw and so terribly deprived that chronologically speaking, I have not seen you in the flesh for five years and four months.  In so many ways it seems as if we just spoke, and then in others, so much has happened that I want to share with you, even though, I know that you know most of it.
            I just want to tell you that I really appreciate seeing you and Dad in dreams.  I am doing my best here. Sometimes, with all the strife in the world, I am almost relieved that you are safe at home, and then other times, I feel a dull ache that so many things I hoped you would do on Earth will not happen here.  Poor Earth, Daniel went home.   You were so good at prayers, and I know you have continued to be.  Please pray for your siblings in a country and a world which has changed very quickly since your departure.  You and Dad are never far from my thoughts and my love for you both is a constant.  Love to you both !

I remember being encouraged by this song in the months which followed Daniel's passing from Earth.