One little life

It's amazing how one little life has touched so many over the years. I can't even express the amount of comments I have received on this blog about how Jenna's story has touched them. I have gotten e-mails about it, too, and whenever I debate medical termination on Baby Center, I often hear from people there, too.



Representatives all over our state have heard her story, and I'm sure they have repeated it to others. Her story has reached all over the world, not just the United States. It's hard to believe that a baby that barely weighed half a pound could touch that many people.

It's also hard to believe that it's been two years, two years since I held her in my arms, two years since I gave her body up, even though I know her soul and the essence of her had long since flown away. I have learned so much in that time, and I have changed, too. She changed me for the better. In her honor, I am going to help people who might be going through a similar loss or any kind of situation that leaves them grieving. In honor of her birthday tomorrow, Aug. 12, please do something kind for someone else, and tell them it's in honor of a baby girl who touched your life.

I can't be profound tonight, not on the eve of her birthday. Since I can't come up with any profound words, I will share the poem that was read at her memorial service. It means a lot to me. Also, if you see any dragonflies over the next few days, please let me know. I love to hear stories about them.

The Dragonfly

Once, in a little pond, in the muddy water under the lily pads,

there lived a little water beetle in a community of water

beetles. They lived a simple and comfortable life in the pond

with few disturbances and interruptions.

Once in a while, sadness would come to the community when one of

their fellow beetles would climb the stem of a lily pad and

would never be seen again. They knew when this happened, their

friend was dead, gone forever.

Then, one day, one little water beetle felt an irrestible urge

to climb up that stem. However, he was determined that he would

not leave forever. He would come back and tell his friends what

he had found at the top.

When he reached the top and climbed out of the water onto the

surface of the lily pad, he was so tired, and the sun felt so

warm, that he decided he must take a nap. As he slept, his body

changed and when he woke up, he had turned into a beautiful

blue-tailed dragonfly with broad wings and a slender body

designed for flying.

So, fly he did! And, as he soared, he saw the beauty of a whole

new world and a far superior way of life to what he had never

known existed.

Then he remembered his beetle friends and how they were thinking

by now he was dead. He wanted to go back to tell them, and

explain to them that he was now more alive than he had ever been

before. His life had been fulfilled rather than ended.

But, his new body would not go down into the water. He could

not get back to tell his friends the good news. Then he

understood that their time would come, when they, too, would

know what he now knew. So, he raised his wings and flew off

into his joyous new life!

Author unknown