Dear Roxie,

We watched shooting stars soar across the August sky and wished you were next to us, marveling at the vast galaxy.

We petted horses lazily grazing in pastures while calling them by names you would have chosen – Sparkalina, Spirit, Chickalinda and Boomerang.

We listened to quails sing morning calls and echoed their silly songs as you would have done while giggling.

Cool breezes passed as we walked through a meadow and thought of you daydreaming as clouds drifted overhead – “That one looks like an elephant, right Dadda?”

We spotted a rainbow after a summer shower and wondered if you might be waiting where it touched down.

We ate lunch at our favorite restaurant on the harbor, which was not nearly as delicious as it would have been were you there to ask for “more fwench fwries, please?”

We dug our toes into the warm sand and dipped our feet in the cool ocean, cherishing memories of you chasing seagulls and frolicking through low, lapping waves.

We hiked past soaring oaks and Deodars, imagining you with us, exploring the “deep, dark forest” skipping from boulder to boulder, hiding from jabberwockies.

Butterflies danced from wildflower to wildflower, just like the ones you raised, freed and named, including Cornelius, Pipsqueak, Jeeves and Unicorn.

And on drives homeward, we looked for you in the rearview, trying to catch a glimpse of your angelic face as you dozed in your car seat following a day rife with adventure.

Not an hour passes when we don’t think of you, Sweet Pie. You are everywhere. You are everything. You will always be the beat of our hearts, the air in our lungs. You will forever be the center of our universe.

We will always love you to the moon and back a million times. And we will do everything we can to parent you in your death as we did in your life. It’s just so hard to be without you.

Mommy & Daddy