Sunrise

This morning we said our last goodbye to our sweet, strong baby boy. We sat alone in the dark on the sandy shore of Chincoteague Island with the moon and the stars above us. The winds off the Atlantic were strong and filled the salty air with the sound of waves breaking along the beach. As light began to break across the sky Josh read "I'll Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch. The book was given to us by our very good friends, the Hammers, while Charlie was still battling at Children's. It was the book Marina read to Charlie right before his final surgery and the evening he took his last breath in her arms.

We also read a Bible passage we saw in a blog of another set of close friends, the Leinos. Their son, Isaac, fought the same battle with HLHS. This passage touched us deeply when we read it on their webpage, and we felt it resonated with us.

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me...to grant consolation & joy to those who mourn in Zion - to give them a garland of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, & failing spirit - that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified." Isaiah 61.1 & 3

At long last, but somehow right on time, we have closure. At the dawn of a new day, the first day of June and the unofficial start of summer, we said our final goodbyes to our sweet, strong baby boy. We love you, Charlie.