January 7. I spend 364 days of the year dreading that one day.
It is the day I had to say goodbye to my only child. He didn’t go off to college or join the military. He didn’t elope in Vegas or run away from home. January 7 is the day when he took his final breath on earth and took his first step in heaven.
On January 7, 2008, we celebrated Sammy and his life. In his final hours, he heard the voices of the people who loved him, the people who prayed for him, the people who cared for him. He heard us all gather around his bed as we each spontaneously told our sweet memories and stories about him. In those last hours, he heard the familiar sounds of laughter that he had heard every single day of his life. Not a day of his life was wasted, and every day was a celebration. I pray that those familiar voices and chuckles brought him comfort.
Sammy passed away on January 7, 2008 at 10:40pm. January 7 gets a lot of attention because it’s the day marking the anniversary of when we said goodbye. But for Steve and me, January 8 is an even harder anniversary because that marks the day when we had to learn to live without him.
Sammy Yammy and HoPE 