Letter to Baby Virginia Ruth

Dear Baby Virginia,

Your mom and dad are two of my closest friends … more like family, really. They have been there for me at my lowest moments and have supported me through it all. Now, it’s my turn.

I remember the day your mom and dad came into my classroom when they got back from their France trip. They made me close my eyes and hold out my hand. When I opened my eyes, your mom had placed her ‘positive’ pregnancy test (in a Ziploc bag, of course) in my hand. I glanced down and saw the line indicated a ‘positive’ pregnancy. I immediately burst into tears of joy. At that moment, you must have felt the love and joy that consumed the room at that time. I was so happy for your mom and dad. There were never any two more deserving people. I have never seen them so happy!

I have always known what strong people they are and what good parents they will be. I have watched them with other’s children. I have watched them in the classroom. Their compassion was evident in every situation in which they found themselves. As such, we were all so glad that they would have you in their lives. We knew that their child would be special.

The pride they felt for you was evident anytime they spoke about you. They were looking for the best for you. Unfortunately, life sometimes throws us curve balls. Sometimes they smack us straight in the face, as this one did. Never in our wildest nightmares would we have imagined that you would come into this world at 22.5 weeks. Never in our wildest dreams would we have imagined that you would be strong enough to give your mom and dad the best gift you could … through your life.

You are a miracle baby. You are our miracle baby and for that, you will always have a special place in our hearts. You are your parents’ firstborn and will never be forgotten. Instead, you will be remembered with love.

On one hand, I am so angry that this has happened. But, on the other hand, I feel so blessed to have had you in my life for such a short time. You brought me great joy and, for that, I will always be grateful

I need you to know how much I love you and how much everyone else loves you. I want you to know that you are part of our family and will be in our hearts forever. You are a special little girl who means the world to a whole host of people. You are our miracle baby.

Baby Virginia, you came into this world such a small being. But, in the short time you were here, you showed such strength. You gave your mom and dad the opportunity to love you, hold you, and say goodbye. With this small life, you have given us strength. You have given us the resolve to stay united as a family … blood relatives and extended family. You have strengthened our faith in the unknown. You have made us believe in small miracles.

You have made me realize that the small things in life are just as important as the large ones. My only regret is that I didn’t get to see you before you moved on. I can only imagine how beautiful you were. But, I will live those memories through your mom and dad and will know that you are an angel watching out for us.

As I sit writing this letter to you, I realize that you will never get to read this in person. But, I still feel that I need to put pen to paper and express to you how much you mean to me. Always remember that you have been loved from the moment you were conceived. And, that love will continue after your death. You are our miracle baby and our own private little angel. The world will be a safer place with you on our shoulders.

I love you, Baby Virginia!

Hugs and kisses!
Auntie CC