Yesterday was a day I will remember forever for so many reasons. It was as I thought the hardest thing to see my baby’s cold and lifeless body in her casket and we are so relieved we stood by our decision to keep it closed for the wake. The stories we heard were always of her smile and bright personality. Those were captured well in the photos we chose and that is how she was and will be remembered.

For a little girl who only began to use words well six months before she became ill, she spoke volumes to the world she touched. It is obvious that it wasn’t what she said to others but rather the way she lead her life that was an inspiration and example to everyone else. There were countless people who showed up that only crossed paths with her briefly in this life and were still moved enough to remember her and feel the need to pay their respects to her and our family.

Everyone said they don’t have the words to express their sorrow and there are not any. We thank you all for your appearance there yesterday as it affirms that she was loved by others as much as we love her.

Near the end of the night there were 3 classmates that were able to come. One brought her a small toy, a boy insisted to his Mom that he had to come for Faith and a girl gave us the card below. No words can express how we felt for each of them.

I can only hope to make as much of an impact on the world with my words and actions in the years to come as my “quiet” little girl was able to in her short 8 ½ years by her actions alone.

Well done is better than well said. — Benjamin Franklin

It’s the day every parent has nightmares about. The day you must prepare to bury your child. I told my wife Sue last night that I didn’t want to go to sleep because it would only make this day come sooner. She insisted we both needed rest for a long day ahead and if one thing I’ve learned in our 20 years of marriage is that she is always right. Sleep did not come easy for me last night. It’s 4:30AM and I’m not able to sleep any longer and feeling the inspiration to write. I’ve always hated writing. It was the last thing I’d ever want to do in school, I was frightened to death to have others read it for fear of critical acceptance. This may be Faith’s gift to me to be able to freely express the feelings of my heart and mind and to share it with the world. She was only beginning to speak with words before she was taken back from us. I will be her voice and allow her inspiration to be expressed through my words and writings.

Today is a day I fear so much. I’ve already said goodbye to my little girl the day she died. I was there with her before during and after. I do not want to see or think of what they did to that precious little body to prepare it for “presentation”. I somewhat understand the need for others to have the need to have the shocking realization that she is truly gone. A decision I made for myself and we made for our child is that her coffin will not be open for viewing. The body she left behind is not the Faith we all know and love it was only the imperfect vessel for a perfect soul to make her mortal journey here on earth. Her guests will be greeted with beautiful pictures of her face & smile through all her 8 years with us along with a photo video put to music that perfectly describes her and what she meant to the world.

She will be given her final sacrament in the religion we raised her just 12 days after she was to make her first penance & communion. This precious life was baptized in Christ, received anointment of the sick and will finally have a Catholic funeral. She will not be buried in the earth, we have decided upon cremation. We will hold and care for her earthly remains as her parents on earth until finally one day Sue and I see her again and we will be interned together for eternity.

I’ve been asked by one very special family of a very special friend to Faith to continue this blog. My intention was for it to end with Faith’s death. But I still believe that the spirit and soul of Faith lives on and so will this blog. It will still be “Faith’s Folly” because the word folly and all its meanings fits the events of the past months on so many levels as I hope to reveal over time. “A Journey back to health” will become “Journey of Faith, Healing and Celebrating Life”. I don’t know how often Faith will inspire me to write, she as others knows me too well, as I need some outside pressure or fire under my ass to get from the beginning to the end of projects.

Please continue to pray for my family and me, for peace and understanding over the next very difficult days to come.

When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced.
Live your life in a manner
so that when you die the world cries and you rejoice.
-Native American Proverb