Permission

Many people have questions they don't want to bother us with right now and we understand that. So let me just answer some of those questions for you.

If you are planning on coming to Macayla's funeral, you have permission to laugh, cry, weep, smile, joke, look around, talk to us or not talk to us, see Macayla or not see Macayla. KIDS HAVE PERMISSION TO BE KIDS DURING THE VISITATION AND SERVICE! You have permission to visit with one another, talk out loud, laugh, cry or just be silent. You have permission to NOT manufacture a mood. Come as you are and as you feel. That's what we are doing. No, we are not trying to make it a festival, but we also are not trying to make it a doom-and-gloom convention either. Again, come as you are and as you feel.

As far as children: if there were ever a funeral appropriate for children, it will be Macayla's. We understand if your child does not want to see Macayla and we understand if they do simply out of curiosity. We are purposefully setting up the visitation as a gathering of friends and family and will make it possible for someone to visit with us and not have to see Macayla. The room will be set up so that they can look at pictures, videos and other things and never see us or Macayla if they so desire. But if they do, the option is there as well. This can be an opportunity to have much needed discussions about life but that is not required. Again, we want kids to be kids. Our son Jacob will be there and we are going to let Jacob be himself. We even have a friend he can go to in case he just needs to get out of the fray and get away for a moment. But if there are other kids there, being kids, then I bet he will probably just want to hang out with them.

We recognize our grief. We miss Macayla terribly. That grief will intensify in the weeks to come as life settles back into some kind of routine and Macayla is no longer part of that daily routine. But we also have much to celebrate and be thankful for. Macayla is a beautiful gift from God. She had many hardships but a smile that melted them all. She is still my little girl and always will be. We celebrate she is whole now. Sure we wish she could have been healed on this side of heaven, but we know her healing in heaven is more complete than any healing here on earth could have ever been. Never forget that miracles are temporary corrections in a fallen world. If we are healed of a tragedy today, it does not mean we are immune to other tragedies in the future. What Christ did on the cross ensures a final and complete healing in heaven and that is what Macayla has. We have much to celebrate.

Thank you to all your prayers and messages. We are so busy with preparations, we cannot respond to them all. Please know we are getting them and we feel the love and comfort. We love you and thank you for everything.