Remembering our daughter on her 32nd birthday

Goofy day at Disney

Baptism day

Happy Birthday Laura!
We love you

Laura's baby

Dance recital

Laura & Lauren

Cousins: Laura & Melissa

Michael, Laura's best dude

Our children

Today our daughter, Laura, would have been 32 years young. Like most moms, I will never forget the details of the day she was born. What a glorious day, July 21, 1983 was for our family! She was and remained the baby of our family and she kept us all on our toes throughout her short life! She made us happy, laugh, angry, cry, see things with fresh eyes, and opened our world to new adventures and experiences.

Laura & Sierra

She adored her older brother. She wanted to be just like him. She loved dogs. Laura had a very loving and kind heart. I remember the time she met a homeless man and came home and took some of her father's clothes out of the closet to give to the man. How could I refuse her?

My cousin, Renee, wrote on my FB page: "The pain of loss will never go away. Many days the pain itself will bring tears to your eyes. But as you are with her, she is with you. Always in your heart. Always in your mind. Always with you."

Renee's message is so true. Laura left almost 7 years ago and it is so hard to believe she has been gone that many years. Some days I still want to scream at the top of my lungs about the unfairness that we had to loose our child. She may have been 25 but she was our baby. There are many days that tears still stream down my face. Especially this time of the year. How we wish we could turn the clock back.  If only...

I have been blessed recognizing signs that Laura sends me, and there have been quite a few. Some are subtle and some are like hitting a brick wall. You can't deny them; well, I guess you could if you don't have an open mind about spirituality. 

The other day while we were heading toward her resting place to place balloons and flowers on her grave, we spotted a bird landing on her headstone and just sat there waiting for us. There were no other birds around. We believe that was her welcoming us. That bird didn't move for the longest time. 

We keep Laura safely tucked in our hearts. We have learned to live life without her because there is no other option. It warms our hearts when someone mentions her, shares a tidbit with us, or acknowledges her life in any way. We never get tired of listening. That is our reality, we share our daughter through our memories. 

Laura, there are so many people who love and miss you. 

Happy Heavenly Birthday
from all of us, especially your Ma & Dad