December 30, 2018 – Merry Christmas and Happy New Year friends! We all know how busy this time of year can get, but I wanted to share a quick blessing I received this Christmas that involved Liliana.
Of course the holidays and special occasions are bitter sweet not having Liliana with us, but I’m at a point where I try to focus more on the good than on my sorrow. And this Christmas, I received a gift that allowed me to do just that.
First, I have to take you back a few months earlier when I visited Special Place one day in late summer. It was a beautiful sunny day and as I approached Liliana’s monument in the children’s section, I noticed a beautiful butterfly lawn ornament in front of her space. It was easy to spot as it was colorful and sparkly and the sun reflected off of it beautifully from a far. I started to get emotional to see that someone had given this wonderful gift to Liliana and my mind started to race trying to think who could have done this. But then, doubt set in as I thought about how my girls will ‘visit’ the other babies’ headstones and play with the gifts that their families leave and sometimes misplace them. I’ve had to try to figure out where a toy car or stuffed animal goes on more than one occasion. So as much as I wanted to believe it was a purposeful placement for my Liliana, the logical explanation was that a parent misplaced it in front of Liliana’s stone that was meant for someone else. But in the back of my mind, I wondered…
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when I was visiting Liliana again at Special Place and I found a beautiful angel ornament nestled just underneath her grave blanket in the corner of her monument. Now this placement seemed very purposeful and you wouldn’t notice it unless you were standing at her monument. I saw no other angel ornaments in the children’s section and there was nothing but other grave blankets and Christmas trees – no loose toys lying around. So I knew that this was a special gift for Liliana and it was a very meaningful gift for me. And that meant that the butterfly lawn ornament was also for her too.
Knowing that someone else is visiting my girl and thinking of her brings me such joy. Of course I confirmed that it wasn’t my parents, which means that she has touched the life of someone else on this earth who knows how precious she is. I’ve speculated who this person might be so that I can properly thank them. But ultimately, even if I never find out, I still feel blessed that this person loves my girl and took the time out to visit her. Very few people talk to Liliana, so I know that whoever it is, she is praying for them too. And if by some small chance this person is reading my blog, I want to truly thank you for this Christmas gift. No gift could mean more than to show love for my child in heaven. May God bless you and your loved ones – those on earth and in heaven with my baby girl. Merry Christmas!