Commitment to Remember

A friend recently sent some writings she came across while reading for a class (Helen Wells O'Brien - "The chaplain as bearer and giver of blessing" in Spiritual Caregiving in the Hospital: Windows to Chaplaincy Ministry. pgs 78-79).  One of the sections rang true for me—the Commitment to Remember:

Commitment to remember
In the rising of the sun and in its going down,
we will remember her.
In the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter,
we will remember her.
In the blueness of the sky and in the warmth of summer,
we will remember her.
In the rustling of leaves and in the beauty of autumn,
we will remember her.
In the beginning of the year and when it ends,
we will remember her.
As long as we live, she, too, shall live,
for she is now a part of us as we remember her.

I wrote this in response: “When we first lost Ellie, there was this little fear that I would forget about her as time went on and especially if we have another child.  I have learned that this is definitely not true.  She will always be our daughter and we will always remember her. There is no replacing her or forgetting her.”