~ Poems and Lyrics ~

"For All Parents" by Edgar Guest

"I'll lend for you a little time
A child of mine," He said,
"For you to love while he lives
And mourn when he is dead.

It may be six or seven years,
Or twenty-two or three,
But will you til I call him back
Take care of him for me?

He'll bring his charms to gladden you
And shall his stay be brief.
You'll have his lovely memories
As solace for your grief.

I cannot promise he will stay
Since all from earth returns.
But there are lessons taught down there
I want this child to learn.

I've looked the wide world over
In my search for teachers true.
And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes
I have selected you.

Now will you give him all your love
Nor think your labor vain?
Nor hate me when I come to call
To take him back again?"

I fancy that I heard them say,
"Dear Lord, thy will be done.
For all the joy thy child shall bring
The risk of grief we'll run.

We'll shelter him with tenderness.
We'll love him while we may.
And for the happiness we've known
We'll ever grateful stay.

But shall the angels call for him
Much sooner than we planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes
And try to understand."

"What God Taught Me Through Sarah" by Cathy Tellefson

I've learned
that you can sometimes be a great witness for the Lord without ever saying a word.

I've learned
that sometimes laughter really is the best medicine.

I've learned
that there are a lot worse things than death.

I've learned
that watching your child suffer is the most difficult thing a parent has to do.

I've learned
that the best doctors are usually people you'd want for best friends.

I've learned
that we have children with the idea that we will teach them about life, when they teach us so much more.

I've learned
that no matter how much I love my children, God will always love them more.

I've learned
that the miracle of dying can be as beautiful as the miracle of birth.

I've learned
that God never promised it would be an easy journey, just that He'd be with us every step of the way.

I've learned
that we will never be able to answer our most desperate "why's" in this life.

I've learned
life can deal us the cruelest blows when you least expect it.

I've learned
grief never ends, it just gets different.

I've learned
that God does give us more than we can handle, but never more than He can handle for us.

I've learned
the more we think we understand God, the less we probably do.

I've learned
suffering can make your faith, love and hope stronger, if you give it to God.

I've learned
nothing feels better than holding your child in your arms.

I've learned
sometimes the smallest in body are the largest in spirit.

I've learned
when your child is sick, nothing else matters.

I've learned
that a healthy child is not only a blessing, but a miracle.

I've learned
sometimes when you think God is farthest away, He's really the closest.

I've learned
real friends stick by you, even when the going gets tough.

I've learned
that most people are extremely generous and want to help.

I've learned
you can feel joy and sorrow simultaneously.

I've learned
you can never take too many pictures of your children, sing too many lullabyes, hold them too long, or love them too much.

I've learned
no matter how terrible a situation, God can bring good from it. God is the good in everything.

I've learned
anywhere can be "home" if you're there long enough to make good friends.

I've learned
sometimes you have to stop asking "why" and ask "what" - "What does God want me to do with this situation?"

I've learned
that you have to go through Good Friday to get to Easter.

GOD'S PROMISE

God loans us little children
To enrich and bless our lives,
To help us see the beauty of life
As seen through their little eyes.

We love them long before they're here,
Before the miracle of birth,
There is nothing like a Mother's love
Anywhere on this Earth.

They become our most prized possession,
The dearest to our heart.
So when we're forced to give them back,
Our world is torn apart.

It's hard for us to understand,
When Jesus takes a child
Our greed, and grief, and all the pain
Goes on for such a while.

God Knew when he took that little child,
Through the heavens around the bend,
That if we stay close to Him,
Our hearts He'll surely mend.

He makes them little Angels,
And promises without end,
That if we keep the faith and believe in Him,
We'll see our child again.

-Author Unknown-

Her Journey Has Just Begun
by Ellen Brenneman

Don't think of her as gone away--
her journey's just begun
life holds so many facets--
this earth is only one
Just think of her as resting
from the sorrows and the tears
in a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no days and years.
Think how she must be wishing
that we could know, today,
how nothing but our sadness
can really pass away.
And think of her as living
in the hearts of those she touched...
for nothing loved is ever lost--
and she was loved so much.

The Dance 
Written by: Tony Arata 

Looking back on the memory of 
The dance we shared 'neath the stars alone 
For a moment all the world was right 
How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye 

And now I'm glad I didn't know 
The way it all would end the way it all would go 
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain 
But I'd of had to miss the dance 

Holding you I held everything 
For a moment wasn't I a king 
But if I'd only known how the king would fall 
Hey who's to say you know I might have chanced it all 

And now I'm glad I didn't know 
The way it all would end the way it all would go 
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain 
But I'd of had to miss the dance 

Yes my life is better left to chance 
I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance

Heavens Special Child

A meeting was held quite far from Earth
It's time again for another birth
Said the Angel to the Lord above
This Special Child will need much love
His progress may seem slow
Accomplishments he may not show
And he'll require extra care
From folks he meets way down there
He may not run, laugh or play
His thoughts may seem quite far away
In many ways he won't adapt
And he'll be known as handicapped
So let's be careful where he's sent
We want his life to be content
Please Lord find the parents who
Will do this Special job for you
They will not realize it right away
The Special role they're asked to play
But with this child sent from above
Comes a richer much stronger love
Soon they'll know the privilege given
In caring for this gift from Heaven
Their precious gift so meek, and mild
He is Heaven's Special Child!

-Author Unknown-

Your Questions

By Shelley Wagner

(This is an excerpt from a longer poem found in
her incredible book "The Andrew Poems", written in memory of
her son who drowned when he was five.)

For words of comfort even now,
you might say and some did say.,
"You still have another son."
Now I ask you,
"Do you hear the logic?
When your mother died,
did your living father make it easier?"
What saved you, you ask?
Unconditional love.
I was lucky with Andrew.
We were happy.
Nothing left undone.
Our last moments together were filled
with laughter. Pushing him on his tire swing
by the river,
he was curled inside the circle,
like a baby in the womb,
giggling,
because he knew at random
I would catch him,
hold him close to my heart,
unwilling to let go,
and cover his face with kisses.
Fill your relationships
with all the photos in your mind
until they are so good
you will be afraid of losing them, and you will.
But that will not kill you,
you’ll survive and live on.
It’s regret that destroys you,
anything left undone.
You see I tell you
what you already know....

ONLY THE BEST

A heart of gold stopped beating,
two shining eyes at rest.
God broke our hearts to prove,
He only takes the best.
God knows you had to leave us,
but you did not go alone-
for part of us went with you,
the day He took you home.
To some you are forgotten,
to others just part of the past,
but to those of us who loved and lost you,
the memory will always last.

-Anonymous-

JOY IN HEAVEN

Listen...can you hear it?
A heavenly choir sings.
Another little angel
Just got her set of wings.
There's joy and there is shouting
As she steps through heaven's gate.
They all lined up to greet her.
All the angels celebrate.
Her eyes are shining brightly
And a smile lights her face,
As she receives her halo
And takes her special place.
She's the smallest little angel
With the biggest kind of love.
She's wiser than an owl
And more peaceful than a dove.
And though there's joy in heaven,
There is sorrow down below.
broken hearts are crying
Since they had to let her go.
So she watches them from heaven
But she knows the time will come,
They will join their precious daughter
When their work on earth is done

Author Unknown