Thank you mb!

First, let me say thank you directly to mb, who sent me this incredibly lovely gift. I cried. I'm still crying. But not because I am sad (here is where I get sappy...are you ready?)...

When Alex died, I thought there would never again be any beauty in my life regarding him. I thought that whenever I thought of my sweet boy, I would think of the pain and sadness...and nothing else. But slowly, a chorus of voices rose up to lift my spirit. People I didn't know shared my pain and made it ever-so-slightly easier to bear. Comments, cards, emails and gifts came in from literally around the world.

Then when Travis died, I knew that you would be here to lift my spirit again. I knew you all would cry with me and laugh with me and rant at the unfairness of it all with me. You became my friends.

You have all helped me to find the beauty in remembering my boys. All of you. Those of you who preceded me on this path...who offered a hand to help me along my way...And those of you who followed me on this path...who looked to me to offer a hand to you...Like a human chain of kindness and love. I hope that I have returned the kindness that has been so freely shared with me. I hope that I have, in some small way, shown each of you how much you mean to me.

You have given me something that I don't think I could have found without you. You have given me the beauty of your friendship. And when I think of my boys, I think of that friendship and I realize how wrong I was. Though I would have chosen to become your friend for other reasons, there is nonetheless beauty in the way that we have become friends. When I look around my home, I see the little gifts that have been sent my way. I see the cards that I painstakingly save. I see all of you...surrounding me with your love. And I am humbled and thankful...and I hope you know how much I love you.

So thank you mb...and everyone else.

For everything.