It's all about love

On our way to the funeral home, Olivia starts rummaging through her purse. She pulled out a little ceramic dinosaur bobble-head that she had painted last week.

"Can I give this to Isaac, Mommy?"

I said, "Oh, honey, that is so very sweet. You want to leave your dinosaur for Isaac?"

Olivia: "Yes, I want him to know that I love him. But he died, so can I put it on his box (casket)? So he will know that I love him?"

Be still my heart.

Also:

"Mommy, can we put our love on Isaac's box?"

What do you mean?

"I want to put our love on the box so he can take it with him since he died. Can we put our love on his box?"

Oh yes, honey. You absolutely can.

She colored a tiny slip of paper and signed her name on it and left it and the bobble head next to Isaac's casket. When we went to hug his Mommy, I explained to her what they were, and that Olivia wanted to leave them for Isaac because she loves him. And then I started to cry. Isaac's mommy was doing so very well, and I was a complete basket case. I just couldn't help but be moved by Olivia's sweet little 4-year-old expression of love.

Olivia had so very many questions tonight...more questions than I had answers. But she didn't seem to mind. She seemed to understand that it is all about love...loving the ones who are given to us, even when they are taken away. The depth of that just blows me away.