The Letter

Everything comes from the seeds, and seeds die by being born.  Truly, then, every part of our lives - even the good things - must one day cause us pain.  this is the second higher truth: the truth of pain.  (The Essential Yoga Sutra  II.15)


On March 21, 2003, four days after Patrick and Olivia's deaths I received this letter in my mailbox:

Dear Katie,
I wanted to share something with you.  I saw you and Olivia shopping together in Trader Joe's on the Saturday before your unimaginable loss.  I passed the two of you several times during our shopping and happened to be in line next to each other at check out.  


Each time I saw both of you , you were having wonderful interactions.  Both of you had beautiful smiles.  Olivia was sitting in the cart and she would look up at you with this beaming, angel face; you would look back at her with a matching look.  I am sure other people noticed how happy the two of you were also.  I though to myself about how lucky this little girl was to obviously be loved unconditionally.  She just radiated all those many hours of love and good care.  I wished every child could have that kind of experience.


I went home, gave each of my children big hugs and told them about seeing the two of you.  I told them how sweet it was to see this mom and daughter in such a mutual admiration moment.  Your face and that of Olivia was frozen in my brain.


I was completely heart sick when I heard about your loss.  I am so sorry you lost your husband, daughter and family pet.  I have shed many, many tears for the mom and little girl I saw in the store.  I will forever remember seeing the two of you interacting with each other, it has touched my life.  


I have begun to look into the faces of my own three children and notice things I may of missed or taken for granted.


I can't imagine what I can say and know that I am a stranger.  From one mother to another mother, I am so deeply sorry.  My thoughts and prayers are with you.  I could see in the face of your beautiful daughter, you are a wonderful mommy.


Warm Regards,
Janene


The seeds of all that was good in my life were beginning to cause me pain.