21 Years for Andrew
21 years. A lifetime. A blink of an eye. Not a year goes by that I don't think of my first born. Some years were hard. Some were easy. Some found me so busy I hardly had time to ponder his birth and death.
And today marks 21 years. He would have been a full-on adult. He never shared his life with the rest of us; only I was privileged enough to share my body and a few months with him.
I still cry for him. For what could have been, for more time with him, for a chance to watch him grow and become a man. A part of my heart is just for him. The rest of my heart is for everyone else. The other kids all know about their big brother, and they occasionally talk of him, but no one else knew him; not even my husband. And so he is buried deep in my soul.
But I also see him in my other children's faces.
In the sweet young faces:
In the growing-all-too-quickly faces:
In the faces that don't want to show themselves too early in the morning:
In faces that are too tired from work:
God is good. God gives and takes away. Blessed be His name. He took away my first born, Andrew. He led me through a desert where there were no children. Then He led me to a place filled with children. Many of them. All unique and precious.
Happy Birthday, Andrew.
Andrew Charles Marino
March 19, 1994
And today marks 21 years. He would have been a full-on adult. He never shared his life with the rest of us; only I was privileged enough to share my body and a few months with him.
I still cry for him. For what could have been, for more time with him, for a chance to watch him grow and become a man. A part of my heart is just for him. The rest of my heart is for everyone else. The other kids all know about their big brother, and they occasionally talk of him, but no one else knew him; not even my husband. And so he is buried deep in my soul.
But I also see him in my other children's faces.
In the sweet young faces:
In the growing-all-too-quickly faces:
In the faces that don't want to show themselves too early in the morning:
In faces that are too tired from work:
God is good. God gives and takes away. Blessed be His name. He took away my first born, Andrew. He led me through a desert where there were no children. Then He led me to a place filled with children. Many of them. All unique and precious.
Happy Birthday, Andrew.
Andrew Charles Marino
March 19, 1994
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