I write for a variety of reasons, but perhaps one of them is that I can record our family story. I understand this story I am recording is through my eyes and my perspective and I do my best to represent it with integrity.
As a family, we have experienced profound loss in the death of my brother Len (December 23, 2012) and my Dad (May 21, 2018). And we are a family that is full of life. We are comprised of many different personalities, skill sets, stories, and we have similarities and differences. We have much laughter, and we navigate conflict. We live a messy life together, and we all grieve and celebrate differently.
Tonight I went to write a note and reached for one of my favorite note cards. Aunt Dot created these as a reminder of what is real. That even in the pit of our grief,
The Birds will Sing in the Morning
We are so grateful that during my Dad’s illness, his hospital stays were minimal. On the 
day he died, we gathered in the hospital room, overflowed into the waiting area and walked the halls. I remember walking the hallway and finding Ellie tucked away drawing. Ellie is creative and able to put her heart into beautiful, meaningful art.
And then there is Olivia. Olivia is gifted in writing and is a faithful writer. She can put her questions, her dreams, her fear, her hopes, and her feelings into words in ways that draw in the reader. When I read Olivia’s words, I feel as if I have sat with her and she has shared her heart.
These two nieces left our family a beautiful gift in their creative work. Their contribution through art and writing allowed us to have a funeral cover that carried a message of hope. Their original work is also on my parent’s gravestone, and a print of this hangs in all of our homes.
I want to share with you the two pieces individually and how these two pieces created a piece that will always be a part of our Borgdorff story.
Olivia wrote the following:
And Ellie drew this beautiful art:
And my Mom honored the gifts of Olivia and Ellie and embraced what we know to be true in this way:
In moments when grief feels big, your struggles deep, your energy low or the sky seems gray, I am so grateful for this phrase, first said by my Dad but embraced now by all of us: The Birds will Sing in the Morning!
Blessed be His Name!
This is so meaningful, and so beautifully written!
Reading your recent posts with a cup of coffee. I am so glad that you are writing again!