The book Love You Forever by Robert Munsch has always been one of my favorite children's books. It has always given me goosebumps and rarely do I get through it dry eyed.
It was one that I would read to my birth son when he was little, one that I received as a baby shower gift when I was pregnant with Dayne. And then it was the book that Dayne and I talked about reading to Alexandra when she was born. Only, she was not born living, so Dayne never got the chance to learn all the words of that book and never got the chance to read it to his baby sister.
If I had thought about it, I would have brought that book to the hospital with me and read it to her. I wish I had thought of it. I think I will take it to the cemetery and read it to her there...Or maybe I'll go sit in her room and read it aloud, so that she can hear it. Sometimes I think about turning her swing on and reading the book, like I used to do while Dayne was a baby, swinging in his swing.
Yesterday I went onto Robert Munsch's website so that I could show Dayne all of the other books he has. We have been collecting them and there are so many that we still need! While reading his biography I discovered that he wrote the book Love You Forever in memory of his TWO stillborn babies that he and his wife had in 1979 and 1980.
I could NOT believe what I was reading, I knew that there was something special about that book and now I know what it is. It's really an amazing book that teaches that love transcends everything, even death.
It made me wonder...what other celebrities know this pain that we all know?
"I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
as long as I'm living,
my baby you'll be."
Robert Munsch - Love You Forever
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My mom used to read that book to me as a child, and to my little brother. I bought a copy when I was pregnant with Nicholas and Sophia and used to read it to them while I was pregnant... And then to Alexander... and to Bobby and Maya, and now to them still. I still cant get through it (or The Giving Tree) without crying, but it is one of my faves.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea he and his wife had gone through 2 stillbirths... No wonder he gets that we will always, always love our children... forever... as long as WE are living... not just because they are.
Oh wow, I had no idea. I've always loved that story. XO
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! That is one of my all time favorite books. WOW. I had no idea that he had gone through what many of us had. That book is just more special now.
ReplyDeleteDid he ever go one to have any living children or an explaination of why he had 2 still births?
ReplyDeleteOh.....oh wow! I had no idea.That book always makes me misty-eyed too. It means even more now, knowing that. Doubt I'll ever be able to read it without thinking of that. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be...that's how it is. Although I find that Abby grows in my mind. When I think of her, I see a baby but I also see a little two-year-old girl with a mop of dark curly hair, toddling around getting into her big brother and sister's stuff and being loved on by everyone.
ReplyDeleteHope you're hanging in there, Melissa! Love you.
Val