Hannah's Heaven Day

I post about my own children an awful lot. But I keep track of other people's children throughout the blogging world. It was only a day or two after Rachael and her family lost their sweet, wonderful Hannah in a drowning accident that I found her blog.

I just wanted to take time out to remember Hannah today, on what will mark her third Heaven Day.

***
I have been thinking about this post alot, because I asked Rachael's permission to post a picture of Hannah and dedicate today's blog to her. I began to ponder God's little miracle in Lily Murphy's complete recovery.

I wondered, why Hannah's life was cut short at the young age of five and Lily's was spared. I questioned what I didn't know about the God that I worship. And then it dawned on me. Lily's life is a miracle because she recovered. But I bet if you ask Rachael, Hannah's life was a miracle because Hannah was a miracle! Even in death, her life had meaning!

I won't go back and read through the posts where Rachael remembered Hannah on a good or bad day, but I remember emailing her once to tell her that Hannah's love for all things smelly (mainly, Bath & Body Works lotion) had encouraged me to allow my own daughter to explore that same love. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of fruity smelling lotion and not remember Hannah.

There was an instance once where I saw something unusual in our yard, a small flower in a spot where it shouldn't be, and found a "Hannah" in that moment.

Even in her grief, Rachael remembered Hannah and her overwhelming love of life and everything - and everyone - in it. I admire the courage, determination, and every ounce of strength it must have taken Rachael and Brien to move on in a world without Hannah. But she said it best herself:

"When Hannah died, we faced the biggest choice ever. Do we "die" with her or do we choose to live--I mean really live, not just be alive? We chose to get out of bed every day. We chose to remember her, to talk about her, to have her live on. We chose to find the joy that is there for us, if we only seek it. We chose to honor the sweet girl we lost, the sweet angel who touched so many lives even though she was so young. We chose to live."

Amen to that. And live she has!
I don't know that losing a child ever gets any easier, and I'm sure today will not be easy for them. Feel free to visit Rachael's blog and leave her some words of encouragement. And be sure to check out the newest edition to their family, baby Ellie!