From time to time each of us has had to deal with sorrow. Enough of us on this SCS forum have suffered tragedy, that one wonders whether the impact leaves us with more pain than we usually know. During those times, my physiatrist has spoken of emotional pain as capable of inducing more severe nerve pain just because the body is trying to cope.

You all have been aware that Cleo and I have been excitedly awaiting the birth of our first grandchild. Our Army son and his wife went yesterday anticipating the full excitement of the revelatory 18 week ultrasound that would show a blossoming healthy moving baby of a certain gender.

Instead, they called Cleo and me bearing tears and sobs. The ultrasound had instead shown they would not have a baby as too many things have gone wrong with the development including as well Turner's Syndrome. Our little precious granddaughter to be will not live. I share this openly because after the crush of yesterday's dissappointment and the flood of tears, today we have been flooded with prayers of support from church friends and family. You, too, are part of our extended group of friends and there are times when we certainly seem like a great big family right here in the ethernet.

I wrote a verse for our little granddaughter, and share it with you below. Tonight, I do imagine among other things, this may be why Rrae has been unseen as we PM shared the news. RRae was the first to invite me here and she has cared so much for all of us, I just felt she needed to know privately because she, too, has had sadness in her family recently. So, we all pray endearing prayers for one another, for Rrae, for our Son and Daughter-in-Law who will travel anyway to visit us for Easter. We will worship together and lift up little Autumn in our prayers.

Thank you all for your caring loving way of being HERE for one another.
Here is the verse:

Autumn's Song
Grandpa Ridder 20110418

Pools of tears surround us now
we look for answers, asking "how?"
Our God is true, oh THIS we KNOW
and yet we grieve and tears we sow.
We learned today a child would not be
our grandchild, first, she has to leave
before we held her and saw her smile
before her mother and father had child
she came into our family
so much joy to bring, we wanted to see.
But this the child God wraps in his arms
her smile known to Him this child who is charmed
to be immediately with Jesus in heaven's embrace
our Autumn is blessed specially with His grace.
We know there will be pain and sorrow down here
as all of us miss her and the joy of her dear.
One day we will see her in heaven when we
arrive in that place of such joy there to be.

All cried out,
Mark56