Letters to Lucas

On April 25, 2008, my neighbor Cindy's first (and only) grandchild Lucas was born.

Lucas was born prematurely and weighed just 1 lb 2 ounces.

As the NICU doctors and nurses worked around the clock to save his life, Cindy remembers holding a 2 lb bag of rice and weeping uncontrollably at the thought Lucas weighed less than that.

It was a trying time but prayer and faith kept her going.

Cindy wrote several letters to Lucas in the first months after his birth.  These letters (edited in the interest of space) capture some of the events of that time as well as Cindy’s thoughts and wishes for Lucas.

Letter 1 - You Are Not Alone

Dear Lucas,

I am tired tonight. It was a long day for me.  I'm sure you know about long days.  You had one just 2 days ago. 

When the eye surgeons had to perform an emergency surgery to save your sight.

I imagine there were many people rushing all around you.

And noise, noise, noise.

But in your mind's eye was the softest, most beautiful face.

And a voice that sounded warm like sweet music.

With it was another face and voice. Tender and strong at the same time.
 
There will come a day when you will put a name to these faces and voices.

‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’.

You will find out you are more precious than life itself to Mom and Dad.

Lucas, there is a voice inside of you too.  And God already knows the sound of that voice.

And what your first words will be.  Life is filled with wondrous things and this is one of them.

I love you sweetheart,

Nana Cindy

Letter 2 - Soon You Will Be Home

Dear Lucas,

Yesterday, your Dad phoned and told me you would soon be coming home from the hospital.

Home is where you belong.

Your bed, your clothes and your toys are waiting for you.

Kisses from Heaven will sprinkle silver and gold.

And your Mom and Dad will catch them for you and plant them on your cheeks, your forehead and your little toes.

You will hear the words "I love you Lucas."  Over and over again.

Until the very sound of those words becomes your own special song.

Love you Sweetheart,

Nana Cindy

Letter 3 - Thoughts About Life And Love

Dear Lucas,

I see pictures of you smiling and laughing.

And gazing with love into your parents' eyes.

You won’t have any conscious memory of this time when you grow older.

I have often thought about this. And pondered over it at length.

(Your Dad will tell you I enjoy pondering about things. I always have.)

"Where do these early childhood impressions go?", I wonder. Deep into the soul?

Or do they drift up to the heart of God for safekeeping?

This is one of the many questions to which we will never know the answer.

Lucas, as you grow, you will understand that life is a series of choices.

When you are young (and not so young), I hope you will make the choice to listen to your parents.

They really do know what they're talking about.

And they would give anything (put their lives before yours) to keep you from hurt and harm.
 
Seek wisdom and learn to truly love others more than yourself.
 
Also, humility is strength, not weakness.  So never stop learning.

Love you always,

Nana Cindy

A special thanks to Cindy for allowing me to publish these letters as a guest post on my blog. I recently attended a Health Seminar organized by Good Samaritan Hospital of San Jose.  One of the break-out sessions of this Seminar was a presentation on neo-natal intensive care:  "How Does a 12 Ounce Baby Survive?"  Dr. Richard Powers,who heads up the 60 bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Good Samaritan Hospital gave the presentation.  From this presentation, we learned about the life-saving miracles that happen every day in the Good Sam NICU through the coordinated effort of multiple specialists, technologies and processes.

If you want to know more about Good Sam's NICU, you can read about it here.