Hello friends and family, December 16, 2004
We hope this letter finds you enjoying all this special season has to offer. The annual Christmas letter is a difficult one for our family to write this year since we, as a group, have been through so much. Knowing however, that each of you cares about us makes it easier to share our news, so please lend us your ear as we tell you of our year...
In May James and I said hello to a precious little life as we welcomed our second son Adam Robert into the world as well as into our hearts. He is rolling around now, trying to sit on his own and eating everything we put in front of him. At seven months he is half the weight of our four-year-old son Alex! He is a very happy little fellow and we are blessed to have him.
In November, we said goodbye to another precious little life as our eleven-year-old nephew Bradley Wallin lost (or perhaps won?) his battle with osteosarcoma. Brad was diagnosed in October, 2003 and never lost his winning spirit. The following account of our first few days in December is what we want to describe in this letter and what we hope you will take the time to read as it is the only “present” we can give to little Brad this year.
James and I were honored to be able to spend some time with Brad and his parents over the Thanksgiving holiday. It was during this time that Brad was introduced to baby Adam and we are so fortunate to have that memory. Thanksgiving ended, and on the Sunday following, James and I drove back to Kirksville. The rest of our family drove to the Children’s hospital to say goodbye to one of the bravest kids we have ever known.
Three days later, we got back into the car and drove to Chillicothe, Illinois where Melissa was raised and where Brad was capturing the hearts of so many people. We drove to Jeff and Lori’s house (Brad’s parents) and were met with neighbors and family all working together to give Brad the most unique and heart-warming send off of anyone has ever seen.
The next day we watched as over one-thousand people stood for many long hours to share condolences with Jeff and Lori and to bring Brad little tokens of remembrance. Notes, cards, ball caps, pictures, bracelets, figurines, books and many other items were left with Jeff and Lori as well as with brad himself in his final little “bed” at the visitation. Hundreds of children were asked to sign the casket and leave Brad a note, the most important of which came from Brad’s best little friend Cole who took that last trip to the hospital with him and never left his side.
At the funeral, over 400 people filled every inch of the small-town funeral home where we celebrated his life in song, poem and eulogy. Upon leaving the funeral home we rode in an 88-car procession that stopped a train and wound through the entire town including past Brad’s house where a sign read “thank you Chillicothe for your support,” past the town ball field where his jersey hung on the fence surrounded by balls and bats, through the down town area where every street lamp was covered in blue ribbon in honor of Brad, past two separate schools where Brad attended and hundreds of teachers and school children stood in silence to pay honor to their friend and class mate. People lined the streets, came out of their businesses and huddled together in the cold to recognize a spirit that refused to leave.
At the cemetery, we were lead in song to “take me out to the ballgame” as the honorary “junior” pall-bearers released blue balloons into the sky and as Brad’s sister Brooke released a white dove. The sky was sunny with only very minimal cloud cover and no rain the entire day…….though……..when the song was complete we turned to see a piece of a rainbow in the sky overhead………a wink from the “little man” indicating “I’m gone but not far.” Such a perfect gift at the perfect time! Words cannot describe…… Following was a meal at a country club whose drive was lined in blue ribbons and was served by some of Brad’s teachers.
Brad’s passing into “earning his angel wings” saw him on the cover of 3 newspapers and a television nightly news piece. More than 90 floral arrangements decorated the funeral home and people all over town wore blue ribbons on their clothes and hung them on their doors. A finer tribute we have never seen.
This Christmas season we take comfort in the ability of one little child to unite a family, a town and indeed, an entire community in fellowship and love. James and I feel so privileged to have known Brad and will always hold his wisdom, spirit and strength as a role model for our two boys.
Many other things happened this year…..Alex started tee-ball and soccer, we traveled, my sister got engaged, we added onto our house…….but nothing else really compares to the celebrations of two little innocent lives that we experienced in 2004.
We believe that the baby Jesus was born into this world so that little Brad (and everyone else) will have a safe place in heaven to run and play and celebrate when it is our time. His birth and our subsequent “heavenly reward” are the real “reason for the season” and in our family this year, this is what is foremost in our minds. So parents, hug your children a little tighter this year as you read our story. They are all such little miracles and James and I continue to learn from them everyday.
May peace be yours this Christmas season!
Love to all,
James
Melissa
Alex & Adam
No comments:
Post a Comment