The Words

She sat on the floor of her bedroom,

A sixteen-year-old, with tears flowing down her cheeks.

Wondering how the world could change so dramatically,

With the termination of just one heartbeat.

She wanted to shout to the world "It isn’t fair!"

How could her sister no longer be?

But she had to pull herself together and stop the tears,

It was time to tell her 4 year-old niece that her Mother would not be coming home.

She called out and slowly the door to the bedroom opened,

In walked a little girl, with eyes that already knew too much.

She beckoned to the child to sit next to her on the floor.

She had not thought about the words that had to be spoken,

They seemed to give birth unto themselves.

"You know your Mommy has been very sick these past two weeks?"

"Yes" she answered.

"You know that she hasn’t gotten any better since she went to the hospital?"

"Yes" she answered again.

"Would you like to see Mommy get better?"

"Of course, Aunt Margi."

"In order for Mommy to get better she has to go live with Jesus."

The child thought for a moment and said nothing.

The teenager pressed forward…..

"If Mommy goes to live with Jesus we won’t be able to see her again."

"Oh, I won’t be able to see my Mommy?"

"No, but Mommy won’t hurt anymore."

"I don’t want my Mommy to hurt." The child stated.

"You understand that in order for Mommy to get better we won’t be able to see her again?"

"I understand."

"Your Mommy will always be able to see you once she is in Heaven with Jesus."

"She can?"

"Yes, and she will always be with you, here." The teenager’s hand reached out and touched the child’s chest.

"What do you think we should tell your Mommy to do?"

The child sat there for a moment before replying,

Those dark limpid eyes looked up into the teenager’s eyes and the child said "I think it would be better for Mommy to go live with Jesus."

The teenager’s eyes filled with tears and her heart felt as if it would never be whole again.

Just then, the child asked " Aunt Margi, can I be yours since Mommy is with Jesus?"

Eleven words that issued from the mouth of a four-year-old would give the teenager hope and the ability to focus on the "What is" instead of the "What ifs."

-Margi C.

Copyrighted1999

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