Letters to Heaven during Lent: On the Palm of Your Hand

"Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you. See, upon the palms of my hands I have engraved you." Isaiah 49: 15-16

Week 2: March 22, 2011

Dear Jesus:

Rafi left on Saturday. His friends left on Friday. The house is back in shape, all organized, but soooo quiet. I miss him so much. I wonder if it will ever get easier. Every time I drop him off at the airport, I return with a knot in my throat. This time, as I was driving home, tears were streaming down my face.

I guess like the reading from Isaiah says, I could never forget my babies because they are a part of me. It's the same with You. You will never forget me. You have written my name on the palm of your hand.

I love You, Jesus!!!

Week 2: March 15, 2017

Dear Jesus:

I have been following a giraffe named April for three weeks now. Her video popped up on my Facebook news feed and I got hooked. She's about to deliver a baby calf any day now, and I have been watching through a live video cam installed in her stall. I even joined a group called "Giraffe-Aholic Anonymous," that promises to send out notifications as soon as hoofs appear (the first sign that the calf is coming out). I must be out of my mind, but I'm not the only one, there are thousands of people watching and waiting to witness the impending birth.

We are all moved by the tender bond between a mother and child. I think that's the reason why April has become the most popular pregnant mother since Princess Kate of England was expecting Prince George. We all want to be the first to witness that love between mother and the calf she's been carrying on her womb for fifteen months.

I know that on Sunday, when I drop off Alex at the airport, I will return with a knot in my throat. It's inevitable. I don't fight it any more. Our job as parents is to teach them to fly and then allow them to leave the nest and fly on their own. But it's so hard because the bond between mother and child is unbreakable. Saying good-bye never gets easier.

I also know that the bond between You and us is also unbreakable. You have written our names on the palm of your hand. And You walk with us wherever we go. That's what makes it easier to let go of my babies. You carry them on the palm of your hand.

I love You, Jesus!!!