A tribute • Skye B
When it comes to blogging I am a firm believer if you haven't got anything to say, don't say anything at all. And for the last 2 weeks I have been trying to find the words, the right words, to convey my love and respect for the bravest people I know.
On the 29th August my cousin Sally's little boy Skye died peacefully at home.
I have seen the piles and piles of letters and cards sent to Sally and Andrew, kind messages on their Loom to the Moon Facebook page and tributes on Twitter. But I have been overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers, wonderfully thoughtful people who have been touched by his story and felt compelled to send me a message, an email, a text or a tweet.
And it's only when you re read every single one again and again that you truly appreciate just how extraordinary Skye was. To at 5, have a voice that has made a mark.
A boy who has made a difference.
No parent should ever lose their child. It's a pain that you can visibly see rips someone's heart out. And it's a pain that you are helpless to heal. How do you learn to live without that child? In all the countless parenting books you read when you are pregnant, there is never a chapter on this horrendous experience. Life carries on, but for them life has stopped. No one can prepare you. No one could prepare any of us for the reality of the day when we lost him and the day we said goodbye.
Skye B, you will never be forgotten. You were mature beyond your years, with a wit that could outsmart children and grown ups alike. We always said, with your soft blonde curls, that you looked like a little angel, and it seems so dreadfully unfair that you are now an angel in the sky.
You have made people think differently about their lives, to be more grateful, more patient. Sally and Andrew put together an incredible order of service for his heartbreaking funeral and shared their own guide to parenting. Points to remember that we all take for granted so easily.
The best thing you can give children, next to good habits, are good memories.
Sally and I had our boys within months of each other. It is hard to fathom that we won't have 4 boys having adventures. They shared clothes, milestones and both of us share that quest to capture those times with video and photos. And I am so grateful now, because my boys can remember all the happy ordinary family times we've had together.
Skye B you have given us so many treasured memories and we will all miss you forever.
He had a final message to all his supportive fans on Facebook. A message that I will strive to live by.
We all need to remember to make the most of what we've got.
Make the most of every day. And hug your small or big ones a little bit tighter. Now go and find the dressing up, or whatever makes your children happy and make them smile like cheshire cats.
Linking up with The Ordinary Moments