Crazy little thing called life

I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always
~Robert Munsch

The book, Love You Forever has been my favorite book since childhood. My little paperback copy has been gone through thousands of times. It was read to me so often as a child that I had it memorized before I could make sense of the letters on the page. As I grew, I read and recited it to my baby sister. I remember her crawling into bed with me and asking, for the one millionth time, for me to read it to her. I took my much-used copy to college with me, and now it sits in an honored position in my home. For my nephew's first Christmas, I bought a copy for him from Hallmark. This was a special gift for me to give him, since his mother is the same little girl that would sit and listen to me read that same book over, and over again. Because of busy lives and the hours that separate us, I knew that I would not get to see Carter as much as I would like to, so this purchase was an emotional gift that probably meant more to me to give than I could even admit. Thanks to technology, I was able to record myself reading this sweet love story to another generation.

Yesterday, an article about that book came across my homepage feed, and of course, I had to read it. This article discussed the parenting style represented in this book (which I had never considered before) and actually criticized it to some degree. I was on the verge of closing my browser, and not finishing the article on principle, until the language started to change, and the author brought to light something about the book I was unaware of.
The inspiration behind this fantastic book is one of such heartache, and profound love, even beyond the story it's self. The author wrote the book for his two still born children.

If you know my story you can see why this might have struck a chord with me. I bawled after reading about his struggle after his family's tragedy. Only those in my very inner circle know that I have lost a baby. No, I did not have it long; I didn't even know I was pregnant when i lost it. Knowing how I felt during that time in my life, and using my imagination and empathetic heart, I can't help but put myself in the shoes of the author. I read the book again after my education, and I saw it with new eyes. It is a beautiful tribute to the lives of his two babies who never had a chance to take their first breaths.

If you would like to listen to the author read his story, and sing the song he struggled with for so long, follow the link below.
Love You Forever