Labor of Love Christmas Ceremony December 5, 2012
Bentley,
Fourteen months have passed, yet it feels like it has been fourteen seconds. There is not a moment that goes by that you do not have your mommy and daddy’s thoughts. We are learning that the hard part was not just delivering you still—it is the life we’ve been living the last fourteen months. It is the life we will continue to live for the rest of our days on this earth. It is the moment that your little brother, Chase, will begin asking questions about his older brother. It is seeing brothers play sports together. It is when the moment comes that you should enter kindergarten or graduate high school or walk down the wedding aisle. It is every day of our lives that we live with this pain of having a huge void in our lives—it is you Bentley. We will forever miss you…
For the last year, we’ve struggled to see the ultimate reasoning to why this has happened and I do not believe that we will ever know the reason until we are standing in heaven being reunited together. But, one thing that I have learned in this last year is that Bentley has placed so many wonderful people in our lives that have walked beside us. I’d like to think that Bentley has placed these individuals into our lives because he knew that we would need them. Labor of Love became a family to us.
Amy Riley and her family have been the face of hope for us. I know that Bentley brought us together as we share a very similar story with their little girl Ella. Bentley, you knew that I needed that family to show me that people do survive and just as Ella’s legacy is still living so would Bentley. It would just be alittle different way of life. Bentley placed Megan and Kyle Dingle and their precious boy, Gabe, to demonstrate their strength in God, and that we too would put one foot in front of the other with the help of our faith in Jesus. And, Kelly Leigh, I know that Ayden and Bentley knew we needed each other you. Bentley knew that I needed someone to laugh with me and cry with me and talk for hours about our little boys who we miss so much. And, of course, Bentley has sent me so many other momentual individuals who have walked this journey with us in the last year.
A year ago, I stood here reading a letter not knowing that at that moment we have conceived Bentley’s little brother just a few days before…I never thought I’d be here. I never thought I’d be able to put one foot in front of the other but because of Bentley we have continued. You changed our lives Bentley, and you sent us your brother Chase who has brightened our days. We will be your hands and feet. Bentley, I hope you are having an amazing 2nd Christmas in Heaven. You are greatly missed here on earth, but I am so looking forward to that reunion…but until then…I know that you are playing in the snow making snowman with Ayden, snow angels with Grayson, Brenna, and Gabe, and you are probably fighting over Ella and Teslee. I know that you’ve made lots of friends in heaven, and you are all watching over us, but please keep holding our hands Bentley….your memory will always live on.
We love you,
Mommy and daddy and your little brother, Chase
Bentley,
Fourteen months have passed, yet it feels like it has been fourteen seconds. There is not a moment that goes by that you do not have your mommy and daddy’s thoughts. We are learning that the hard part was not just delivering you still—it is the life we’ve been living the last fourteen months. It is the life we will continue to live for the rest of our days on this earth. It is the moment that your little brother, Chase, will begin asking questions about his older brother. It is seeing brothers play sports together. It is when the moment comes that you should enter kindergarten or graduate high school or walk down the wedding aisle. It is every day of our lives that we live with this pain of having a huge void in our lives—it is you Bentley. We will forever miss you…
For the last year, we’ve struggled to see the ultimate reasoning to why this has happened and I do not believe that we will ever know the reason until we are standing in heaven being reunited together. But, one thing that I have learned in this last year is that Bentley has placed so many wonderful people in our lives that have walked beside us. I’d like to think that Bentley has placed these individuals into our lives because he knew that we would need them. Labor of Love became a family to us.
Amy Riley and her family have been the face of hope for us. I know that Bentley brought us together as we share a very similar story with their little girl Ella. Bentley, you knew that I needed that family to show me that people do survive and just as Ella’s legacy is still living so would Bentley. It would just be alittle different way of life. Bentley placed Megan and Kyle Dingle and their precious boy, Gabe, to demonstrate their strength in God, and that we too would put one foot in front of the other with the help of our faith in Jesus. And, Kelly Leigh, I know that Ayden and Bentley knew we needed each other you. Bentley knew that I needed someone to laugh with me and cry with me and talk for hours about our little boys who we miss so much. And, of course, Bentley has sent me so many other momentual individuals who have walked this journey with us in the last year.
A year ago, I stood here reading a letter not knowing that at that moment we have conceived Bentley’s little brother just a few days before…I never thought I’d be here. I never thought I’d be able to put one foot in front of the other but because of Bentley we have continued. You changed our lives Bentley, and you sent us your brother Chase who has brightened our days. We will be your hands and feet. Bentley, I hope you are having an amazing 2nd Christmas in Heaven. You are greatly missed here on earth, but I am so looking forward to that reunion…but until then…I know that you are playing in the snow making snowman with Ayden, snow angels with Grayson, Brenna, and Gabe, and you are probably fighting over Ella and Teslee. I know that you’ve made lots of friends in heaven, and you are all watching over us, but please keep holding our hands Bentley….your memory will always live on.
We love you,
Mommy and daddy and your little brother, Chase