There should not be a "babyland" in a cemetery... this is going to be more of a photo tribute to Luke.... Because it is important. What a comfort to know that families CAN be together forever.
Julie (the mom) saying goodbye...
from experience i can vouge for the difficulty of letting go of these little ones we had such dreams for... and never got to meet... there isn't a sorrow like it that i have experienced before or since, nor would i want to. Can you believe how small the casket is?
Jeremy (who is deaf, and also the father of Luke) was so great with Julie... here she is signing "help"... I'd like to believe that it is help from our Father that they know is available. For Jeremy, and this is only my guesstimation, i imagine that the whole experience has been that much "darker" because of his deafness. When i arrived at the hospital on the 8th, Julie was delivering and there wasn't an interpreter for him... i can't imagine the lost feeling that must be. Here is your wife going through something so huge, and you losing a child... i just can't imagine it from his view.... But he's been really great with her. It is amazing how different all of these boys from the same family are.
What a comfort.... to have one another...
This is not all of the family. Julie is from a family of 13 children (all living) and Jeremy is the 2nd of 10 (all living)... there is a lot of support, what a blessing. Anyway- there was a "balloon ceremony" for Luke- where balloons were released into the sky for him as a way to say goodbye, and also, as Julie said, "to give him something to play with!
Just again, an idea of how tiny he was...
Those I'm lucky enough to have. My mother and father in law were very concerned about my feelings- and i appreciated that. It was much like picking at a scab.... if that makes sense... my losses became quite fresh once again.... but i know i will have them back, more children to raise in the hereafter! Busy, Busy!
Sunglasses were counted as a blessing... the smile... well, because what else do you do?
Heavenly father needed you back sooner than we were ready... but we will trust in him... and love you just the same... (the balloon ceremony referred to above)Jeremy Lucas Gibbens, still born 8-8-07
Memorial 8-13-2007 at Hillcrest Cemetary, Caldwell, Idaho
