March 28, 2007
Dear little Georgia Leigh Harrington-Hartman,
You came into this world weighing just 10 & 1/2 ounces and 9” long, while your sweet baby spirit was already in heaven. I like to think that maybe you have met your grandmother “Ginger” and your great grandfather “Art”. Your grandmother “Ginger” loved your mother Kellie with all her heart and I know she loves you too. Your great grandfather Art loved your Daddy Galen with all his heart. I know he loves you too as he loved all little children so very much.
So today, I am here and thinking of the things I was looking forward to. I had some special things I wanted to do with you. I dreamed of the many times I would get to see your smiling face, encircled by bouncy curls, running toward me with open arms to meet me and Grandpa Gary. I will miss the opportunities I would have had to whisper in your ear, “I love you Georgia Leigh”. I will miss having the special opportunity to make a quilt “just for you”. I will miss singing songs about Jesus to you – but of course you are in heaven – so you know Jesus even better than I do.
You know, Georgia Leigh, your middle name is the "same" as your Daddy’s. His name is Galen Lee and your Mama and Daddy wanted you to have part of your Daddy’s name. I heard your Mama say, “I want this baby to have her Daddy’s name – he is a special man!” So it came to be.
I know that your Daddy is a good Godly man. He was so excited when he first heard your heart beat in your Mommy's womb when you were the size of a grain of rice and he made sure that Grandpa Gary and I knew about it. Your Daddy is a very kind and compassionate man with a heart of gold. He has worked many long and hard hours to provide a special loving home. But more than that, his heart was and still is filled with love for you and he anticipated the day he could hold you and say, “I love you Georgia Leigh.” He also has a wonderful sense of humor - helping make us all feel at ease and laugh at ourselves. He cares for others asking, “How are you...how can I help?” You would have learned to love your earthly Daddy, Galen, as much as I love him.
And of course, I must tell you about your Mother, Kellie. Such a dear Godly woman! Always thinking of others and finding ways to support them in their distress. Your Mother is a very creative woman, creating a memory book and documenting your growth as you grew in her womb. She, I know, was looking forward to making special holiday outfits for you and your sister Grace. She too was so excited when she heard your heartbeat – you were so tiny, but your impact was felt even then. She announced your arrival by calling you “Wee Hartman” on a birthday card for your Grandpa Gary in 2006. She too has worked hard and long beside your Daddy to provide a love filled home. She had made special preparations for you – purchasing special matching summer yellow dresses for you and your sister Grace. Your room was to be decorated in pink, of course, with a motif of dragonflies and ladybugs. You can ask Great Grandpa Art about the time God sent ladybugs to eat the aphids and spare his alfalfa field in Idaho.
And as I write this letter to you, I want to tell you about your sister Grace Elizabeth. You would have loved having her as a big sister. She is very smart and would have showed you all around – telling you about the donkeys, the dog and the kitties. She would have protected you from harm. She lives life to the fullest and notices everything. She is very compassionate and thoughtful of other’s feelings. Grace lets me know that she is appreciative of what I have done for her by laying her head against mine or stretching her hand to meet mine. She would have given you so much.
But God has intervened in our lives in a most unexpected way. He has called you back to heaven at this time – too early for your earthly birth and wholeness. This has made a major impact on my life and that of your Grandpa Gary. We will never be the same – because we have known and loved you in our heart's and because you left us too early.
So I, of course, ask the question... Why God? How am I supposed to deal with this? What am I to learn from you God? Am I open to learning more of your ways? Georgia Leigh, was your short time on earth about me and my feelings, or was it about you and the life you might have had on earth? From what I know and understand life might have been physically very difficult for you. I know your heart stopped in your Mother's womb and that meant that something else was going on. Only God knew the future.
Psalm 139:13, says “God shaped me first inside, then out; God formed me in my mother’s womb.” Mama and Daddy had all the tests done – and things were deemed normal...but God could see and knew something more. So, in God’s caring and loving way, He has taken you back to be with Him – to make you well. But oh, how my heart aches at the loss of you, little Georgia Leigh.
To end this letter then, my dear sweet Georgia Leigh, I choose to let go of my dreams for an earthly relationship and I look forward to walking the streets of gold with your hand in mine as we enjoy the presence of God Almighty looking down and smiling on us. So until God chooses to call me to be with you, I will love and support your Mama, your Daddy, your sister Grace Elizabeth and Grandpa Gary. I will be more compassionate as others face the loss of little children and I will remember that God is sovereign, He knows all and His ways are best. He is the creator and is ever present in our lives...all of us are His beloved children.
For now and forevermore, know that I love you little Georgia Leigh Harrington Hartman. You will always have a special place in my heart.
P.S...And, one more thing...On February 16, 2008, God sent you a sister and your parents named her Aislynne Faith. She knows all about you and talks of you often. Someday God will arrange for you to meet her and your big sister Grace. You will be so pleased to meet them. They are special little girls bringing much joy and happiness to your Mama Kellie, your Daddy Galen and to your Grammy and Bop.
Until then...Your grandmother Beverley
Dear little Georgia Leigh Harrington-Hartman,
You came into this world weighing just 10 & 1/2 ounces and 9” long, while your sweet baby spirit was already in heaven. I like to think that maybe you have met your grandmother “Ginger” and your great grandfather “Art”. Your grandmother “Ginger” loved your mother Kellie with all her heart and I know she loves you too. Your great grandfather Art loved your Daddy Galen with all his heart. I know he loves you too as he loved all little children so very much.
So today, I am here and thinking of the things I was looking forward to. I had some special things I wanted to do with you. I dreamed of the many times I would get to see your smiling face, encircled by bouncy curls, running toward me with open arms to meet me and Grandpa Gary. I will miss the opportunities I would have had to whisper in your ear, “I love you Georgia Leigh”. I will miss having the special opportunity to make a quilt “just for you”. I will miss singing songs about Jesus to you – but of course you are in heaven – so you know Jesus even better than I do.
You know, Georgia Leigh, your middle name is the "same" as your Daddy’s. His name is Galen Lee and your Mama and Daddy wanted you to have part of your Daddy’s name. I heard your Mama say, “I want this baby to have her Daddy’s name – he is a special man!” So it came to be.
I know that your Daddy is a good Godly man. He was so excited when he first heard your heart beat in your Mommy's womb when you were the size of a grain of rice and he made sure that Grandpa Gary and I knew about it. Your Daddy is a very kind and compassionate man with a heart of gold. He has worked many long and hard hours to provide a special loving home. But more than that, his heart was and still is filled with love for you and he anticipated the day he could hold you and say, “I love you Georgia Leigh.” He also has a wonderful sense of humor - helping make us all feel at ease and laugh at ourselves. He cares for others asking, “How are you...how can I help?” You would have learned to love your earthly Daddy, Galen, as much as I love him.
And of course, I must tell you about your Mother, Kellie. Such a dear Godly woman! Always thinking of others and finding ways to support them in their distress. Your Mother is a very creative woman, creating a memory book and documenting your growth as you grew in her womb. She, I know, was looking forward to making special holiday outfits for you and your sister Grace. She too was so excited when she heard your heartbeat – you were so tiny, but your impact was felt even then. She announced your arrival by calling you “Wee Hartman” on a birthday card for your Grandpa Gary in 2006. She too has worked hard and long beside your Daddy to provide a love filled home. She had made special preparations for you – purchasing special matching summer yellow dresses for you and your sister Grace. Your room was to be decorated in pink, of course, with a motif of dragonflies and ladybugs. You can ask Great Grandpa Art about the time God sent ladybugs to eat the aphids and spare his alfalfa field in Idaho.
And as I write this letter to you, I want to tell you about your sister Grace Elizabeth. You would have loved having her as a big sister. She is very smart and would have showed you all around – telling you about the donkeys, the dog and the kitties. She would have protected you from harm. She lives life to the fullest and notices everything. She is very compassionate and thoughtful of other’s feelings. Grace lets me know that she is appreciative of what I have done for her by laying her head against mine or stretching her hand to meet mine. She would have given you so much.
But God has intervened in our lives in a most unexpected way. He has called you back to heaven at this time – too early for your earthly birth and wholeness. This has made a major impact on my life and that of your Grandpa Gary. We will never be the same – because we have known and loved you in our heart's and because you left us too early.
So I, of course, ask the question... Why God? How am I supposed to deal with this? What am I to learn from you God? Am I open to learning more of your ways? Georgia Leigh, was your short time on earth about me and my feelings, or was it about you and the life you might have had on earth? From what I know and understand life might have been physically very difficult for you. I know your heart stopped in your Mother's womb and that meant that something else was going on. Only God knew the future.
Psalm 139:13, says “God shaped me first inside, then out; God formed me in my mother’s womb.” Mama and Daddy had all the tests done – and things were deemed normal...but God could see and knew something more. So, in God’s caring and loving way, He has taken you back to be with Him – to make you well. But oh, how my heart aches at the loss of you, little Georgia Leigh.
To end this letter then, my dear sweet Georgia Leigh, I choose to let go of my dreams for an earthly relationship and I look forward to walking the streets of gold with your hand in mine as we enjoy the presence of God Almighty looking down and smiling on us. So until God chooses to call me to be with you, I will love and support your Mama, your Daddy, your sister Grace Elizabeth and Grandpa Gary. I will be more compassionate as others face the loss of little children and I will remember that God is sovereign, He knows all and His ways are best. He is the creator and is ever present in our lives...all of us are His beloved children.
For now and forevermore, know that I love you little Georgia Leigh Harrington Hartman. You will always have a special place in my heart.
P.S...And, one more thing...On February 16, 2008, God sent you a sister and your parents named her Aislynne Faith. She knows all about you and talks of you often. Someday God will arrange for you to meet her and your big sister Grace. You will be so pleased to meet them. They are special little girls bringing much joy and happiness to your Mama Kellie, your Daddy Galen and to your Grammy and Bop.
Until then...Your grandmother Beverley