Wink from Heaven: Dear Krista,

Monday, October 19, 2009

Dear Krista,

Dear Krista
Thank you for sharing your heart with me over the past few months! You have been an angel in our family. You are a very special nurse and friend. Good luck with your new adventure!
I love you to the moon and back!
Love
Caleb

7 comments:

Joy said...: Very sweet! Nothing like a good friend.; October 19, 2009 at 12:42 PM
Becky said...: Oh...I'm sad for you. I know how good she has been to sweet Caleb. What a sweet post! :); October 19, 2009 at 4:17 PM
Krista said...: Caleb- I will miss you so much. I will think about you all the time. Thanks for everything that you taught me. I love you forever!; October 20, 2009 at 5:24 PM
Kel said...: Caleb is a such special boy who is so lucky to have angels guarding him all the time. That last picture with two of his guardian angels is beautiful.; October 20, 2009 at 5:30 PM
April said...: I especially like my star trek hand in the last picture- What talent!; October 20, 2009 at 5:44 PM
Grandpa & Grandma Tanner said...: It is really great to see such a wonderful caring loving family with all the challenges that come with having a special spirit in you home it is wonderful to see the love and support you share with one another. You give us such inspiration to face what challenges may come our way. We pray for your family and ask a special blessing to always be in your home. Thank you for letting us share in your sweet spirits and be edified by the love you share.
(Candy Maxfield's Mom & Dad); October 20, 2009 at 7:04 PM
Becky said...: APRIL! I'm LAUGHING! Love the star trek hand comment. You are FUNNY! (AND talented) :); October 21, 2009 at 9:18 AM

Prayer for Caleb

(written by Caleb's Grandma in her weekly column -2008-)

In my family we have a secret code to communicate our love for each other when we are out in public. We wink. When one of us is about to perform or speak, we look for a family member’s face in the crowd. Then we wink at each other. Closing one eye and winking is our secret code for saying, “I love you. You can do it. You’re wonderful.”

About three years ago, my grandson Caleb was born into our family. He must have known before birth that he would never be able to speak to us because he was born with one eyelid permanently closed. So, he is always “winking” at us, always communicating, “I love you. You can do it. You’re wonderful.”

Caleb has one eye lid permanently closed because he is missing one of his eyes . . . and he is also missing his brain. All the doctors said he would die soon after birth. They were wrong. Caleb is three years old. He is a medical miracle. The doctors say he can’t see, hear, speak, think or move. Those who know and love Caleb understand he has his own unique way of experiencing the world and communicating his love to those around him.

After Caleb was born the hospice people told us to buy a burial plot and continually warned us of his imminent death. We soon learned you can not live well in a state of fear and sadness. We decided we could spend Caleb’s entire life anxious and scared he might die at any moment, or we could celebrate each day we were blessed to have him with us. In the beginning, my daughter April celebrated Caleb’s birthday every week instead of every year with balloons and cupcakes because we simply did not know how long we would have him with us. We stopped the cupcakes after we gained ten pounds, but the celebrating goes on.

We all prayed for a miracle when we first learned about Caleb’s condition. We got one. Caleb’s birth, life and mission have had a deep and lasting impact on our lives. His spirit, eternal identity and most of all the loving, individual relationship he has with each of us is truly a miracle. Because of Caleb we know that each of us has a divine purpose and that the physical body is a sacred gift we should never take for granted. We better understand the worth of a soul and the resiliency of the human spirit.

Caleb’s five year old brother Matthew said, “Grandma. The doctors said Caleb was going to die, but he didn’t. That’s the first miracle I ever saw!”

Sometimes Caleb’s baby brother Mitchell pulls out his feeding tube while they hold hands riding together in their double stroller. Sometimes the only intervention that can get Caleb’s heart rate up is when his older brothers Josh and Matty crawl in his crib, hug him and sing, “I am a Child of God.” ...If you have a moment please offer a prayer for the little boy who has never been able to utter a single word and yet has taught everyone who knows and loves him – all the secrets of a rich and meaningful life.