Ma chérie, you were my joy, my light, and my greatest gift. From the moment you were born, I knew you were special. You had the most beautiful spirit—kind, curious, and full of love. Watching you grow was the greatest privilege of my life. But losing you, so suddenly and so young, was a heartbreak I never thought I’d survive.
I remember how you’d come running into my arms after school, excited to tell me about your day. You loved life in a way that was contagious. You saw beauty in the smallest things—a flower blooming, the way the rain sounded on the window. You had this incredible ability to make everyone around you smile, to see the world through your eyes was to see it full of wonder and possibility.
The day we lost you, it felt like the world stopped. I couldn’t understand how someone so full of life could be taken away so suddenly. It felt unfair, cruel, and unbearable. The house is so quiet now without your laughter, and everywhere I turn, I see reminders of you—your drawings on the fridge, your favorite book by the bed, the toys you left behind. Each one is a piece of you, a reminder of the joy you brought into our lives.
Even though you’re no longer physically here, I feel your presence with me every day. I hear your voice in my dreams, see your smile in the faces of other children. It’s both comforting and painful, this constant reminder of what we’ve lost. But I also know that you’re still with me, that your spirit will never leave.
I try to live in a way that honors your memory. I try to find joy in the little things, the way you always did. I try to be kinder, to love deeper, because that’s what you taught me. You may have only been here for a short time, but the impact you made on my heart will last forever.
Je t’aime, ma fille, with all my heart. I will never stop caring that you were here, and I will carry your love with me for the rest of my life.
— Claire, France
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