Nineteenth Letter to Sofia

Dear Sofie,

I cannot believe it's been one year since the day I gave birth to you.  Time has flown so fast, no matter how much I wanted it to slow down, for fear of getting too far from the time you were here with us...with me.

I hope it's a happy day for you in Heaven, hearing Mommy sing Happy Birthday for you this morning. I wanted to make this day special for you and for our family so that time you heard Mommy sing, it was 4:10 in the morning.  We woke up early to go to the hills because it was the highest place I could go to and I wanted to go as close to you as possible.

                                               We went to a place called Caleruega.

                Daddy, Kuya and I had a picnic breakfast there  to celebrate your birthday.

We had fried chicken, salmon pie, prawns, apples, grapes and oranges , and of course a birthday cake for you with three lighted candles (one for each member of your family here on earth).  I hope next year there will be four candles.

You want to see what the rest of the place looked like?

Here's Daddy in the middle of the hanging bridge.

    There he is again...so tired from carrying the heavy cooler.

     

                                                       I wrapped a present for you.

No, Mommy hasn't gone crazy wrapping presents for an angel baby who doesn't need earthly things anymore.  I wrapped a present because I wanted to have the joy of wrapping something for you. And then....we gave your present away to children who needed it more.

See ? It says, "To Earth's little angels....From Heaven's Sofia Marie"

                                              You want to know what's inside?

My favorites are the ones with angel wings.

These baby clothes went to the babies who live here ....

Their mommies abandoned them so  the Augustinian sisters take care of them.

We also gave them some diapers in addition to the baby clothes.

Here is your birthday cake which we shared with your Lola Alma and Lolo Maning yesterday.

I forgot to take a picture of it before slicing.  

    And of course, we made sure you had fresh flowers.

We also offered Masses for you in different churches and it's almost time to attend one of them now.  I have to go and change.

I just want your memory to live.  I want your life, no matter how short it was, to mean something not just to me or to our family but to the world.  That is why I am going to do nice things in your name for the rest of my life.  I want it to be said that the world is a little bit brighter BECAUSE YOU LIVED.

Happy Birthday and happy 1st year in Heaven.  I hope you're having a blast with your two siblings.

I love you, dear Sofie.  I miss you so much!

Lots of flying hugs and kisses to Heaven,

Mommy