Author Information
For Olivia Grace
Little Bean,
you came into our existence long before your spirit held a body,
a few calmly asked words which evoked surprise and elation,
bringing your reality into alignment with ours.
You fed and grew while we fretted over every detail,
preparing ourselves emotionally for the blessing we were to receive,
the true magnitude unbeknownst to us at the time;
our hearts grew warm and our smiles broadened as your presence increased,
the bump in mommy's belly becoming a bulge,
your little cocoon of tender warmth protecting your metamorphosis.
Into this world you came, the moment abrupt and over in a blink,
a gentle gasp of air and frail whimper signaling your arrival--
the sterile room became a vacuum,
as our own breaths were pulled from us as awe struck like a hammer,
striking true the hot iron of our own reality,
forging something so beautiful as to make words elusive upon first glance.
Small yet fierce,
you fit delicately like a puzzle piece in our arms,
completing a picture of our lives which we hadn't known was incomplete.
You fed and grew,
fussed and laughed like a loon,
and filled our spirits with a radiant glow as only pure souls can do;
we are but the pupils in your classroom, dear Olive,
for each day is a learning experience in this curriculum of life and love,
more engrossing and rewarding than any mommy or daddy ever took in school.
Your inquisitive eyes, ever-searching for knowledge, peer back at our own,
locking into a curious stare which in turn manifests a toothy smile upon your face,
one beaming with recognition and love, symbolizing a sense of security and trust--
"how are we so lucky to have such a perfect and happy child?"
mommy and daddy find themselves wondering aloud,
the aura of your blessing enveloping us as we smile broadly while philosophizing this matter.
Yet, there lies the real answer, hidden in these words of ours, plain as day:
we have been blessed, shown the best parts of ourselves merged into one being,
a loving spirit full of spunk and quirky personality,
as energetic and radiant as the stars burning bright in the night skies.
For one whole revolution around our mother star, you have graced us with your presence,
teaching us lessons in humility and unconditional love,
helping us to grow along with you,
as we live here and now in each passing moment,
cherishing every one we get to experience together,
bound by blood, by love, and kept whole under God's grace.
We believed we knew the depths of love prior to this magical year;
you prove with each new day that they are infinite.
Happy birthday, big girl.
We love you to the ends of the universe,
in this world and all those that follow.
