Special thanks to my dear friend Jackie, who sent me this wav. Hello Munchkin! Wow, it's hard to believe that this is the second birthday you've spent in Heaven! We sure do miss your physical presence, we just want to give you a great big hug! Amy and I know that you are still here in spirit, playing jokes and pranks on us, making us wonder! I just wish between us that we could make daddy feel as though you were around him. He is having such a hard time, he misses you so very much. He not only lost his son, he lost his best-mate as well, didn't he? I can remember how we laughed before you passed away and decided you would probably have to come back and hit daddy over the head with a baseball bat before he would believe you were really around him! Well I guess it's getting toward that time! We haven't managed to convince him so far. Just keep trying munchkin, don't give up on him, we'll get him to believe one day!! I feel you around me so often that I know that you know what I've been up to with your pages and how many people have been inspired, just by reading about you. I bet you also know each and everyone of my online friends that has helped me through the past 15 months without you. I feel pretty sure that I couldn't have come this far without them. They always know the right thing to say and they send me the most beautiful things to comfort me. I received this poem from some of the many friends who were thinking of us all today. Bereaved Birthdays Birthdays are a time for celebration not a time for tears. But what happens when the birthdays no longer mark the years? A birthday marks the moment a spirit enters earthly life, to share its special love and joy and learn from earthly strife. Before a spirit comes to us it knows when and how it must depart, it chose its path carefully, we are honoured from the start. The sadness we now feel on such a joyous day is longing for our loved one's touch, it's natural to feel this way. for even though the birthdays no longer mark the spirit's stay, love continues on forever to touch us everyday. So hug your precious memories closer to your heart and honour your beloved spirit child who chose you from the start. ~~ Author Unknown ~~ Another wonderful friend, Sherri, wrote a little piece for your First Anniversary in Heaven, I know you'll love it just as much as I did. A Celebration of 1 year in Heaven The angel whispered to the other angel, "We all knew that Simon would make Heaven so very nice". And the other angel nodded in total agreement, and went on to say that only spirits that were loved to infiniti and back turned out to be such extra special spirits..... like Simon. But then the angels got a sad look on their faces, for they knew that when an extra special spirit like Simon was new to Heaven, that there were tears and pain and mourning and grieving on earth. And the saddest part was that the very people that gave the gift of endless love, to infiniti and back, were the very ones suffering so. The two angels asked if they could join the guardian angels that were assigned to those closest to Simon, so that they could comfort them. Realizing that they could never entirely take away their pain while they remained on earth, they would whisper soft angel lullabies in Simon's loved ones ears when they were sad. Songs like: God knows your pain, but is filling your hearts with His love, and let us come down to try to comfort you the best that we can... your Simon is very loved in heaven and we are taking such good care of him.... We love to see Simon smile, for his smile reaches beyond the ends of the universe..... even you can see this..... when the sun shines so brightly in your eyes, that is Simon's spirit and he made sure to send his smiles your way.... But what about at night, you may ask..... his smiles are in the twinkling of the stars. And when the weather prevents you from seeing Simon's smiles in the sun or the stars, then Simon sends his hugs on the winds, whether the winds are a gentle breeze or very strong gusts, the winds are filled with Simons hugs. And Simon's most favorite thing to do is to soar to earth, giving his loved ones a spirit hug, which totally surrounds your souls. And he whispers to you, "I am happy and loved, I feel no more pain, I fly with the angels, but mostly I love to fly down and give you spirit hugs and give you kisses on your eyelids, foreheads and cheeks. I sure hope that you can feel my hugs and kisses. I know that you will join me sometime, until that time, when you feel sad, remember, that I am still with you although you can't directly see, hear, or feel me.... remember, I am always nearby... till I can teach you to fly with angels like I do". An Original piece written for Bea, Vince, Amy & Angel Simon ~by Sherri Next comes a drawing and a note from Amy, your 'baby' sister. We were half way to school on the morning of your birthday and she broke down in tears because she misses you so much. But, you probably know that already. You'll recognize the names of the flowers and butterflies as being the friends who went to Heaven before you. And all girls too! I bet there was quite a welcoming committee for you! Simon's 17th Whatever you do, wherever you go, you will always be my Bro. If I could name two of my hero's it would be my dad and my best mate, my Bro, because I tell him everything that goes on and he sees it. So he would be my best mate 4eva and always. Love you Si. Amy, your little Sis. PS....... Si + Am stick like glue 4eva. This next piece was written by daddy who is missing you so badly! Everything he does is just so painful because he doesn't have his best mate, 'spud', around to help him any more. To shine is to have a ray of sunshine, To love is to be loved, To hug is to be hugged on days that are cloudy and everything is kind of misty, this is so because my son told me so. When the pain is hard and your on your guard to shed a tear is not with fear and smile for what we had the last few years. But thinking back to when he was small how I wanted to see him walk tall, But now he comes from me to You I pray you watch over them all. Love ya Spud Well, munchkin, I know you are going to have the most amazing birthday party in Heaven with all the friends and loved ones that are there, just wish we could help you blow out those candles! We love and miss you so much, but we know there will come a time when we will all be together again. We'll see you in Heaven sweetheart!