Saturday, January 21, 2006

Letter to Riley

My little Riley Bear,
You are so beautiful inside and out. You have been given this horrible disease, yet it's just a tiny blip on your radar screen. You act like life has always been this way. You really are great and so big and you make me so proud to be your mommy.
I wish I could take this disease and just make it go away. If I could trade places with you I would do it gladly. But, this disease is shaping you into a wonderful person. It will make you stronger. It will make you determined. It will make you, you.
I want you to know that no matter what, you can do and be anything you want to do or be. You may have to work a little harder than others, but there is nothing, nothing you can't do.
Know this. You and Holden are my heart. I will always be there for you. I love you so much that sometimes I feel like my heart could burst. I just pray that you will have a long and happy life and that one day, you will know what it is like to not have to count carbs or take insulin.

Love,
Mommy

3 comments:

prayergal said...

Penny~
This letter is so full of love and hope :). Your outlook is improving, God is with you. Riley will grow up strong and he will be a stronger person because of this trial in his life. I hope you print this letter out and put it in a safe place for Riley, so he can read it in the years ahead. What a great encouragement this will be to him as he grows older.
Love,
Aunt Linda

Keith said...

Penny--
My mom felt the same way. She would have traded places with me had she been given the opportunity. Mom had polio when she was three, back in a day when treatment was crude at best and had enough of a burden carrying that alone.

One day maybe we'll think about diabetes like we now think about polio, "Nobody get's that anymore!"

Penny Ratzlaff said...

Keith, I hope and pray for that everyday. I saw a special on TV not too long ago where the newsman was in a classroom with kids that looked to be in about 2nd or 3rd grade. He asked them what diptheria is? None of them had ever heard of it. I turned to my husband and said, "Wouldn't it be great that if in 15 years they ask kids that age what diabetes is and they don't know?" Yes, that would be great indeed.