We are in Paris, France. Visiting my sister Sarah and her family, husband Christophe and 2 children, Luisa who just turned 3 in March and Roland, who will be one in May.
The weather is beautiful here - it is sunny this morning and the high for today is 16 C. The magnolia tree in the neighbour's yard across the street is in full bloom and smells glorious. Flower gardens are blooming all around us. It will feel very good on this day to be surrounded by so many wonderful signs of spring, of re-birth and renewal.
But I have to be honest. Today is going to be a hard day. It is just hard, there is no way around it, to celebrate but not celebrate this day.
Last year, Harry's first and only birthday, was so joyful, especially because we didn't even know if he would live long enough to have a first birthday, let alone be able to celebrate it at home. A year ago, it was Harry's first visit to the Cancer Care Manitoba children's clinic. He and I stayed there all day. He had his blood work done and counts checked and he needed a blood transfusion. So we stayed until I think around 6:30 or 7:00 pm, as blood transfusions generally took 4-5 hours - 2 hours to order the blood and about 3 hours for the blood to slowly pump into his system. It was also his nurse Wanda's birthday. She shared her chocolate cake with Harry and I have a wonderful picture of him in the play area at the clinic with a nice chocolate face:
Today, we are going into Paris (Sarah lives in Neuilly sur Marne, a suburb directly to the east of central Paris), we will bring a picnic lunch and we are going to climb the Eiffel Tower to celebrate Harry.
My teacher, Kimberly, says it is a rare parent who is given the gift of birthing their child twice - once into this world and once into the next. And so I suppose, in this way, we jointly celebrate, two years since birthing Harry in so much love into our world, and eight months (April 3) since we birthed him, also with so much love, into the next place on his journey.
Happy Birthday dear wee Prince Happy Harry.
Love,
Mummy, Daddy and Lyddie.
3 comments:
Happy Birthday Harry.
We think of you often and always with a smile. How can we not? Those cheeks, that grin. Those eyes...!
xoxo Jodi, Jason, Carson, and Meredith
I like Mr. Chocolate Face. Those are beautiful pictures. I've been thinking about you guys all week, especially yesterday and today. It's odd, isn't it, that he died on the 3rd day, and was born on the 4th day (different months, yes, but odd that they're so close). You take good care and hope that today was somehow bearable.
Many hugs and kisses to all of you.
Janine
Happy Birthday little Harry!
Dear Cynthia,
I have been thinking of Harry and your family all day today. I am so happy that the three of you are in such a lovely place today. I hope your picnic was fun.
Enjoy your vacation!
Love
Dragana
p.s. I love Harry's b-day photos you posted. What a lovely child!
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