I find myself still continuing to tell Layla's story. I am a manager at Cracker Barrel and as you can imagine I come in contact with tons of people on a daily basis. It seems like just about everyday I have told about Layla and her amazing family and then wrote down on a piece of paper how to read about it. Just today I was talking to one of my good friends, who happens to also be a manager, about Layla and how much it has affected me. I was literally in tears in the office telling him about her and how we never think that something like that could happen to us. I bet the Marsh family never expected this to happen to them and in the blink of an eye the whole world flipped upside down. I know I have said this a million times but I truly mean it...I don't know how they handle this with such strength, courage, grace, and diginity. The words written and spoken by both Ryan and Shanna are put into such a way that just pulls you in and feel like you are a part of their family.
I will continue to tell their story and help them raise awareness for Neuroblastoma. Layla will always hold a special place in my heart. Each time my frustrations start to surface with my own 2 year old daughter I will take a deep breath and remember Shanna's post:
"The house is quiet. I am able to go through the motions of laundry, dishes, cooking and picking up without interruptions. But I WANT interruptions. I WANT Layla to be under my feet asking for cookies. I WANT to hear her playing with her toys. I WANT to take 45 minutes to unload the dishwasher because she keeps trying to help. For every time I uttered the words “I just can’t get anything done with these kids under my feet all day” I am eternally regretful. The days that I looked forward to naptime so I could get a grocery list made, or finally fold all the piles of laundry…I regret those days too. If I could do it all again, I’d enjoy EVERY SINGLE WAKING MOMENT I had with her. I would never wish for her to sit still or take a nap or go to bed early. I would never look forward to the days when she could sit through an entire episode of Dora silently. I would treasure every second with her."
This one post struck a nerve with me and has resonated with me since the day I read it. As mothers, I think that we all have these thoughts. As readers of this blog, I think we are all realizing the importance of embracing everything, even the moments when we are at our wit's end.
I continue to pray for the entire Marsh family and friends daily. The vision I have of Layla now is spinning in circles with her arms held out wide, palms up, head back, smiling with no pain or worries, in a field of wild flowers with all the other children God has taken home.
