Miren’s Book

We lost contact with her birth mom right after placement. But we had pictures at least, of Miren’s birth mother and half siblings, and I wanted to keep them somewhere special.

I started a scrapbook for Miren so that she would know her own story. Where she came from. The many, many people who love her. The fights she won even as a little baby.

I dedicate one section of her book to photos of her birth family. We keep those private for them, but also keep them sacred. Another section was for pictures of Jesus.

I spent a lot of time looking for the right artwork, images that I hoped Miren could feel a special connection to one day, artwork that showed Jesus with little children. I never finished that collection though.

When Miren passed away from her heart condition, it tore a hole right through me. It hurt to see all those empty scrapbook pages. Nothing will ever fill that void. I’ll never stop missing her. But very quickly I realized she was never truly gone, either.

I see signs of her everywhere, sometimes in unexpected ways. Items hold memories, words hold meaning, and those empty scrapbook pages don’t need to stay empty. Because she continues to be part of our story, now and forever.

And one day, when Jesus comes back, so will our baby girl.