Dear Caleb,
We are very grateful that we are one more day closer to you, as crazy hard as this has all been... We cannot wait for that day to see your sweet face and give you our hugs and kisses that have been placed on the shelf for now. There have already been so many placed on the shelf that the shelf can barely stay up. Dad and I have hit rock bottom many times when we allow ourselves to view life through our mortal eyes. Our arms ache for your sweet hugs, and long for your sweet touch. We ever so miss you, our sweet Buddy Boy. Life hurts and there is nothing that anyone can do about it. In which we are very so grateful to be reminded of the Reason of this Season, the birth of Our Savior Jesus Christ. It is only through and of him that we can even have the strength to move from one day to the next. As hard as it will be, to have to Celebrate this time without your sweet physical presence, we know that your spirit will be ever so near. Oh how you loved this time of year, playing in the snow, playing Christmas with your sisters, and getting so anxious that your joys make us smile ever so big. We are reminded more and more that to live our earthly life with even the least bit of joy, that we must live and view life with our spiritual eyes. If there has been anything for us to gain and understand from all of this right now, it would be that you have shown us that there is just a Better way to live our mortal lives down here on earth. I have talked to others that have lost children and they said that for them "It was a reminder for them to turn around and come back to God." I struggled with that for awhile, I couldn't understand how that would we for us. Being a faithful Christian and church going people, always having family prayer and scripture study, doing all that we could to stay close to the Lord by keep the commandments that have been taught to us through the scriptures.... I just didn't understand what this was all suppose to mean to us. What were we suppose to learn from such a tragedy? Then one day it hit me like a load of bricks, it wasn't that we were straying from the Lord and that it was suppose to turn us around back towards the Lord. It was the fact that "Yes" we were living a good life, but there is just a BETTER way to do it.
In the talk 'Good, Better, Best' by Elder Dallin H. Oaks Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, "The number of good things we can do far exceeds the time available to accomplish them. Some things are better than good, and these are the things that should command priority attention in our lives."
"We should remember that it is not enough that something is good. Other choices are better, and still others are best."
"We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families."
Caleb, Thank you for showing us that there is a better way for us to live our mortal lives here on earth, by living with and through our spiritual eyes. We could not continue our earthly journey without this small insight that has opened our minds and hearts to a big and brighter view. Thank goodness for our Savior and the truth that he truly has come to save us all and show us how we can return back home. That there is a real purpose on life, and that all of our work, effort, and experiences are not in vain, but for a wise and eternal purpose.
We love you so much Caleb. We know that you will be near us at this Christmas Season. Thank you, for staying close.
Love, Your Mommy
Memories:
Tamara remembers: How Caleb loved the Nebraska summer rain-less storms with the thunder and lighting.
Liahona remembers: Playing water spray tag with Caleb. If you got sprayed 3 times then it was your turn to be the sprayer. They would run around in their swimsuits to play the game, (even in the winter time.)
Mom (Tanya) remembers: How Caleb was the only one who could remember our garage door code number.
Dad (Eric) remembers: How hyper Caleb would get as he tried and worked hard to get on and off his new bike that he got for his 8th birthday. And how he got better with not crashing into things and falling over when stopping.
