forever in our hearts.

it's taken me a while to bring up the strength to write this

blog post today.

not even 3 weeks ago a family that i

only really know through high school and only because they 

were in my older sister's grade, lost their sweet 4 year old girl

Phoenix to cancer.

seriously. FUCK cancer.

i never met her, but learned about her through

her mom's photo posts and just like anyone else,

admired the little girl and her uncanny resemblance 

to her mom.

it was very easy to observe that she was a fiery one,

full of personality and doing everything a little girl is supposed to.

when we all learned she was diagnosed with leukemia,

we were nothing short of hopeful.

progress report after progress report,

i added little Phoenix to my prayers. and when i learned

she had been reborn into the spiritual world

my heart broke.

i didn't have to know her to know how much she

meant to her surrounding family and even how much

she meant to me, though we had never met.

as a parent, the thought of surviving my own children

is unfathomable. from birth you make a promise to yourself

and to your little one that everything will be alright and

you'll keep them from harm's way. but the truth of the

matter is, sometimes we do face circumstances which are beyond

our control. no matter how much a parent wants to

protect their child, there are things that we just cannot.

and in these circumstances we cannot feel defeated,

we must press on.

it's been surreal. in the days after the funeral i found myself

in a daze, constantly wondering if her mom and dad are okay.

incessantly searching on social media for a sign

that they are okay. i don't know but what i do know is that they

are surrounded by love and most importantly surrounded

by Phoenix's love.

the interesting thing for me, is that i've heard or seen her name

in random things around me. the book i started reading talked 

about a man who lived in Phoenix, AZ. my husband told me about

a friend who will be visiting Phoenix, AZ. and then, i randomly received an email

from a blog reader asking if she could use my blog as a channel

to tell her story about being diagnosed with cancer and surviving.

all of this means something, to me, at least.

i believe creating awareness sends more positive

energy into the universe: something we all could use more of in our lives.

for Phoenix, if you would like to learn more about her life and 

journey you can visit http://loveforphoenix.wordpress.com/.

to the danger family: she is always with you,

where ever you are and we are all here for you.

Phoenix, I will always think of you! Thank you

for igniting a spark in me. <3

***

My next blog post will be featuring Heather a mesothelioma 

survivor sharing her story and creating awareness. I would greatly

appreciate your support!