A Senior Year Remembered: Honoring the Journey of a Child Who Should Have Graduated

The final year of high school holds a special place in the lives of many young people. It is a time filled with milestones, celebrations, and the anticipation of stepping into adulthood. But for some families, this year is marked by absence and quiet remembrance.

Remembering the Moments That Never Came

Senior year is often filled with events that create lasting memories: prom, senior trips, final sports seasons, and graduation ceremonies. For a child who passed away before these moments, families and friends carry the weight of what could have been. As this year has progressed it's hard to not feel the void of things we should be doing:

• Senior Photos: would you have been like your brother and begrudgingly taken the photos or would you have gone to every store and thoroughly though about which outfits you would wear. Probably the latter, you were a planner and liked to have things figured out beforehand. You would have fixed your makeup just perfect (not that you needed any, but girl did you have a talent for it), had your hair curled so it fell just the right way and most importantly you would have had that smile; the smile that no matter what mood anyone was in instantly made them happier.

• Homecoming: would you and your date or friends gone to get chili at Steak-n-Shake? Maybe not before but shakes and fries after absolutely.

• Prom: we should have gone dress shipping you would have rolled your eyes and gotten annoyed with me and your mom talking about how some dressed were just inappropriate. I'm torn thinking you would have picked something sparkly and over the top or something yellow and subdued a-la How to Lose a Guy in 10 Day. Either way you would have been stunning with your big blue eyes and golden hair.

  
  

• Graduation day: The culmination of years of hard work, maybe some tears over math homework, but a celebration none the less. We would have picked out the perfect shoes and dress. Your cheeks would be 11 colors of red hearing your family hollering for you.

  
  

I have spent countless hours thinking about who you would be and how these moments would be as you prepared to take another step in your life. Knowing how many people you impacted in your first 11 years I know for sure there would be countless more who would be forever changed by knowing and getting to be around you. We think of these moments, with the heavy heart that we won't get to experience them with you but working to keep the memory of you alive and acknowledge the importance of our journey.

It never has to be said but we love you we miss you and we hope you continue to show up that you are still around.