Tonight, Chris and I had a death in the family.  Our newborn niece, Peyton, passed away after a month-long battle with an extremely rare form of Leukemia. 

To further fuel an emotional fire, I lost my sibling exactly four years ago, today.  So a bundle of thoughts swirl through my mind at the moment...

Mainly, I ponder the injustices of life.  I know that everyone experiences them at a certain point.  But I am left with nothing to say that could possibly make Peyton's parents feel better...  because I know how it feels to sign a document which separates one from another for the remainder of one's life.  And I know that nothing in this entire world can relieve the pain of losing a child, or a sibling whom one has raised for over 20 years,... except a great deal of time.

I find myself comforted in the knowledge that my brother keeps my mother company-- that they have each other-- and that I have something to look forward to when it is time for me to go.  

Yet, somehow, I am also comforted by the thought that perhaps my brother, who loved children so much, will look out for Peyton. 

My eyes well up...