Larkin Murphy Armstrong born October 4, 2005

 

3 years.  36 months.  1,095 days.  26, 280 hours.  1,576,800 minutes.  Some spent in grief.  Some spent in joy.  Some spent in tears.  Some spent in laughter.  Some spent in terror.  Some spent in excitement. 

 

All spent in and with boundless, endless love.

 

Larkin Murphy is probably the world’s youngest teacher and bridge builder.  She has united a community to help build a center to support those with special needs.  She has shown us that all human beings have value.

 

I was a wall builder.  I had a very good life though traumatic at times and it was through the trauma parts that I learned to build walls around my life and myself in order to shut out those who inflicted harm.  Then I had Larkin.

 

I learned to open myself up through the lessons she brought into my life.  I learned that the very best parts of me are my children.  Sharing her with the entire community began as a way to deflect those who would talk with pity.  I wrote to stop those that would whisper, and inflate my grief.  I learned to let go and let God. 

 

Then the walls started to crumble.  Larkin’s spirit began to shine through and melt it all away.  I began to share her joy, light, spirit, love and yes her battles and the war.  I learned to build bridges with her.  Sharing our journey brought you all onto the bridge with L and me.  Sometimes it sways and scares me but there she is out in front always turning around to hand me yet another board.  Chase holds the nails.  Andy holds my hand.  Our friends and family embrace us and hold us tight so that we do not fall.  We all hammer together.

 

Now many are helping her build the bridge.  She has taught us how to take our time, think out the process.  To not over- react.  Smile through the tears.  Laugh through the sorrow and most of all to love and forgive in spite of what we sometimes do and say to one another. 

 

Life is short.  Andy and I are in charge of quality.  God is in charge of quantity.  My friend Tim has a saying at the bottom of his email.  Life is God’s gift to us.  What we do with that life is our gift to Him. 

 

Thank you God for giving me the very best gifts a mother could have ever wanted.  One wrapped one way and the other – well I am still pulling the wrapping off both so while one is blue and one is pink, they both are treasures that I am pleased to have been entrusted with.

 

Three.  Building bridges, teaching and loving.  Happy Birthday my beautiful sweet girl.  Thank you for taking down my walls and teaching me what true acceptance and love is. 

 

Thank you for being you Larkin – all 47 parts.