Becky Sue And Mama

Let's see if I can do this one without crying. I'm usually pretty good at keeping my emotions in check, but this weekend it couldn't be done.

A dear friend of ours, we'll call her Emily, was pregnant. She and her husband were so excited, looking forward to being parents for the second time. Emily is one of the sweetest and most beautiful women you'll ever meet. All of us couldn't wait to share in her joy when the child came.

Emily gave birth this weekend with the child at 22 weeks. Her father, a Texan, gave her one of those classic double names. We'll call her Becky Sue. The doctors knew Becky was in trouble a few weeks earlier, so mama had done everything possible to keep the baby. She had laid flat on her back for weeks, doing her best to keep the baby until it was old enough to make it in ICU.

She missed it by about 10 days.

Becky Sue was one pound and lived for 10 minutes. My wife went to see Emily and her family in the hospital and told me Becky Sue was this perfect, little doll. 10 beautiful fingers, 10 beautiful toes. My wife held her for a while when a friend said, "You're rocking her." My wife, sobbing, said, "I can't help it." When Emily asked to hold her daughter one more time, my wife said she had to leave. When she told me the story after she got home, I started sobbing, too.

I haven't shared this next part with anyone, it's seems too tragically beautiful to do it.

When Emily and Becky Sue meet in Heaven, I think Becky Sue will run towards her, arms outstretched, crying out, "Mama! I've missed you so much! I know you did everything you could to save me. I love you more than you can ever know."

OK, I need to stop. I'm losing it. I think you get the idea.

Love you guys. Have a great day.