The GA Guinn Trips

Why is such a little word.  It's one of the first questions that children learn to ask.  Why is the sky blue?  Why do fish live in water? 

Eventually, the why begins to change.  Why do I have to do my homework?  Why can't I go out with my friend?  Why can't I get a tattoo? 

It's part of growing up.  And yet there is one why that people should never learn.  And that WHY is the hardest one to learn!  Why do children have to die? 

Tonight, Brody, my sister's student, went to walk in heaven with God.  He is a little boy who was a fighter.  At two, he was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease.  He had to have a transplant, but with his rare blood type, that made a transplant very unlikely.  I only got to know Brody through my sister.  I attended the fundraiser with the triplets for Brody.  He was so full of spunk!  And the stories, my sister would bring home of Brody always put a smile on my face.  His mom, Kristi, was amazing and kept everyone up to date on Brody through his carepage. She was a single mom, who managed to keep everything together for Brody's brothers and manage Brody's care.  And she ALWAYS had HOPE!  HOPE for Brody to have something better!

Sandra and Brody

I HATE this WHY?  I hate knowing that a family is grieving because a little one was taken too soon!  

It is HORRIBLE that children have to die!  I have seen way too many in the last few years!  I grieve for these parents and PRAY I am never in their position!  Why did Brody have to die?  Why did Zoe Rose have to go before him?  Why did Jaxon, Courtney, and Collin all have to leave their mom's arms? 

These whys will never be answered on earth.  I can just hug my girls closer tonight and remember everyday that we are not promised one moment more on this earth than we have lived.  We can find a strength that we never knew existed to go forward and use these struggles to motivate change. 

If Kiera did not lose Zoe would she have founded the Zoe Rose Memorial Foundation?  Not likely

Would Rachel have started Triplet Butterfly Wings and make the amazing burial wraps that she does, without the loss of her butterflies?  Again no! 

(Even though, I know they would trade all the amazing work they have done for one more millisecond with their babies!)

But the hard work of these brave women and their families stems for their need to know that their little ones are remembered and to see something wonderful come out of something so tragic! 

And we do remember! 

Every time I see a ladybug, I think of Zoe.  I remember her mother, her sisters, her father!  The video of Zoe learning to chew still makes my heart melt!  When I find a ladybug inside my house, I will take it outside, point it north and tell the little bug, "Go visit Keira or Lily, or Avery.  They need to see you!"

Every time a butterfly lands near me, my heart remembers Jaxon, Courtney, and Collin!  I remember the beautiful pictures Rachel shared with the world as her little ones fought to live. I can't see a butterfly without thinking of them. 

And now, sadly I must remember Brody!  Red Power Rangers were his thing!  He loved them.  So when I see a red power ranger (or heck any red ninja (because, forgive me Brody, I'm not that good with power rangers!)  I will remember Brody!  I will lift up his family in prayers!  I will remember! 

I will REMEMBER all the things their families have shared through their web pages, stories, and emails!  Whether I am friends with the family, whether I am just an acquaintance, or whether I have only ever followed them on the Internet!  I WILL REMEMBER! 

Yesterday, we made the heartbreaking decision to let James Dean suffering end and let him go home to be with GOD! 

James Dean has been apart of our family since before it began.  He was my engagement present from Frank 12 years ago!  He has traveled with me pretty much everywhere from the moment he was born!  I have never had a dog that travelled as easy as James Dean did.  He would settle onto his pillow for the entire ride. 

He was our baby before we had the girls.  He was Frank's little man!  Mr. Poley and JD were ice cream buddies!  He was Nana's shadow after the girls came. 

He was amazing with the girls.  He was the watcher when they were first home and infants.  He would run up to me if they started crying and look at me like "why aren't you getting the babies?"   He was their playmate and entertainment as they aged.  They would crawl after James Dean when they learned to crawl.  He was the hoover pickup dog after they started eating "real" food!  I think this was his favorite thing about having the triplets!  He gained a good 4 pounds after the girls started eating real food!

He was a blast on his birthday, July 4th!  Unlike other dogs who were deathly afraid of fireworks!  JD LOVED them!  He would get so excited and bark until he lost his voice!  We did have to keep a tight hold on him though, because he would try to get to the fireworks!

He was our "Little Man" or "Big Man."  Depending on the moment!  He loved to play with Audi and Trinity!  He loved to go on walks and play with his cow!  He had OCD tendencies!  If he had a tennis ball that was his, and you took 100 other tennis balls that looked exactly the same and put them in the room, he would always go back to HIS ball! 

Forever Loved, and Forever Missed! 

James Dean Guinn