A Thanksgiving Poem
Dear Father who art in Heaven...
Please join our family on this Thanksgiving day
And bless each one as we sit down to pray
As we remember those who have joined You above
So dearly missed and deeply loved.
Please provide us strength on this Thanksgiving day
Bless us with memories of those faraway...
Please grant patience to family and friends as we grieve
And help us reach out to others who are bereaved.
We give thanks to You on this Thanksgiving day....
For Your presence in our lives each and everyday.
For Your comfort, guidance, and never ending love...
And for taking care of our loved ones...in Heaven above.
As we light this candle on this Thanksgiving day...
And it glows in memory of those in Heaven today....
May their lights always shine down on us and give us light...
And may we feel their presence along with Yours tonight.
May the peace and tranquility of this Thanksgiving day
Be an everlasting light within each of us along the way...
Lets bow our heads and give our Thanks to God above..
For our blessings, whether on earth or in Heaven above...
Amen
Poem graciously submitted by The Jason Program
It has taken me forever, for
me to accept that you are
truely gone. But never gone from
my thoughts and in my heart.
My sweet Vanessa went through so much. Having so many surgeries and chemo, until your little body couldn't take any more. You was always so strong, much stronger than I could ever be. I may have looked like a pillar of strength, but inside I was not.
Several things I would like to get off my chest. You and I had many talks about your illness, (cancer). You had to see so many people die from the same illness. Before you became ill you had Joined St.Jude and you always donated money to help those little kids with Cancer.
When the Doctor's came to us and told Daddy and I that the cancer was so bad, that there was nothing more they could do. I felt numb. This wasn't real. We was living a nightmare. I thought so many things. We did request for the Doctor's to keep trying and this they did.
I debated on telling you what the Doctor's had told us. At one point, You asked me what was wrong. You could tell I had been crying.Many times you looked straight to my eyes and asked me,mommy why are you crying? I began to tell God in my heart. God, how do you tell your child that she is dieing? Once the words started coming out of my mouth. I could see the look of fear in your beautiful eyes. I couldn't say it. You couldn't hear it. All I could say was, the Doctor's are doing everything they could.
I can see you so clearly right now my Vanessa. You are so Beautiful. I remember all the days you was sick in bed at the hospital. There were many days that you looked so well you did not even looked sick at all.You had many good days and you were up to play cards with zija Mary and or watch a movie on the dvd.
You always smiled even while you were sick,you smiled at your cousin Samantha when she came to visit you.When Allessandro came to play music in your room you always sang with us and smiled all the way.You never said you were not up to music.
The days you had to have chemo, how sick you would get. The blood transfusions always made you feel better. Thank God, for the people that give blood. They save lives and help pain and suffering. Endless days at the hospital. Me and zija Mary took turns to sleep with you,we did not want to leave you alone.
And another surgery where they had to remove the tumors from your liver. I remember when you was in ICU and you woke up and looked around you saw us all there. You was able to smile at us although you was in so much pain.We would have never left you.We were always there for you.
Another thing that haunts me to this day is.. The day God called you home. The Doctor's and Nurses came running in after Daddy called for them. They gave you some medication to make you more comfortable, Which I am grateful for. You kept on taking long deep breaths with long pauses in between.We were so scared to lose you,All your friends came to visit you,but who knew these were your last few days.They all came with your Birthday Cards and some with Gifts and they all read your Birthday cards,you could not see but you heard everything because you had tears,the nurse told me to tell you it's ok,but I did nit know what she meant,she said to me you have to tell Vanessa it's ok because she is suffering,how I could day it's ok to my own flesh and blood but how!!
I came by you holding your hand with daddy and your brother,zija mary and Samantha holding you the other hand We just didn't want you to suffer anymore. We love you that much. Telling you it was ok to go was so hard. I feel so much guilt but at the same time I know it was something we had do to. I felt like if you had to go, I wanted you to go in peace.But you did go in peace and you are no more suffering my love.
God reassured me that horrible day. I felt it. I felt his presence. I knew he was taking your hand and your pain and suffering away.
So rest in Peace my Darling Daughter. I love you my Vanessa.
Love, Mommy Daddy and all your Loving Family
I asked the Lord to bless you
As I prayed for you today
To guide you and protect you
As you go along the way.
His love is always with you
His promises are true,
And when we give Him all our cares
He will always see us through.
So when the road you're traveling on
Seems difficult at best
Just remember I'm here praying
And God will do the rest
Always remembering your precious Vanessa