A Beginning.

Dear Alayna,

I’ve always had a love for the written word. There is something so personal, so romantic, so timeless, so …permanent about it. It is a love that I hope one day you and I share.

As I’ve navigated my life, I’ve noticed this underlying thread of grief quietly woven through it. Now grief, as he is commonly understood, is undesirable. He seems forceful. Even sadistic in nature.

But I’ve learned differently.

Grief has shaped me.

Grief has walked beside me.

Grief has even joined me here, in motherhood.

In every laugh, in every new memory, in every time of joy, he quietly sits in the corner, reminding me to savor the nectar of it all.

He has even led me here. To these letters.

These words are my gift to you, Alayna Baby. My legacy. My heart. My hope. My prayers for your life.

With these words, I’ll always be with you.

All my love,

Mama