I returned last night from Weston's memorial and celebration of life in Philly. It's hard to sum up all of the 24 hrs of my short trip, but if there is one word I could use, it would be Love.
There was so much love for Weston, the Keetons and the staff on the 6th floor at CHOP. Hundreds of people came to pay their respects to Julie and Adam on Wednesday night in their adopted hometown. Hundreds of people cried, laughed, and shared stories about the little 7 yr old boy that stole their hearts and changed their lives. And his Celebration of Life was just that, a beautiful celebration of the wonderous life of a precocious, funny and charming young man.
I was sitting on the beach this morning reflecting on not just life since Sunday when Weston burst into Heaven, but life since Caelen and all of the other heart heroes we've met on our journey entered my life. And as I sat there watching the waves roll, crest, break and repeat, I watched little children run into and away from the surf, giggling and screaming with delight. The surfers rode the waves, paddled back out and did it again. Beach goers fought the wind, and secured their towels on their own little spot of paradise on the sand. And what kept running through my mind was, life goes on.
Life will go on for the Keeton Family. It'll be very different now, and I'm sure at times sadder, but they are a strong faith based family that is surrounded by love and God. And their new life will go on.
Life will go on for the 6th floor at CHOP. New patients wil come, they will be treated and the amazing staff will do their best every single day. The doctors, nurses, therapists, front desk staff, everyone on that floor will never forget Weston. They will carry a piece of him in their hearts forever, and their lives will go on.
It's hard not to think about Caelen in Weston's passing. It's hard to be a heart mom, or a parent of a special needs child during times like this, and not think about when God will call my child home. But what I learned from the Keetons is that life will in fact go on. I can't focus on what the future will brings. I need to focus on today and making each day the best that I can for Caelen.
God sent Weston and Caelen and all of the other warriors here for a reason. Yes, they have to endure suffering, but they also give and receive tremendous amounts of love. They smile through the pain and procedures and they keep fighting because they want to be here, with us. They are here to love and be loved, teach and unite us. And it was never more clear just how much Weston was LOVED, than to witness the events of the last week.
So my life will go on. And while I may still tear up from time to time as I reflect back on his passing, I will remember that he is no longer in pain. He doesn't have to fight anymore. He can run and jump and play in the dirt in Heaven. He won't get winded, he won't get stuck on tubes and lines. He's flying free and high in the Kingdom now. And he would want people to be happy, not sad.
All of our lives will go on, and we should make the most that we can with the time we're given.
So I'm not going to say Goodbye to Weston, or rest in peace. Instead, I say, see you again my little buddy. Play hard up there and get into lots of trouble. But most importantly, thank you for touching and changing my life.
God Bless you Weston McKinley Keeton, and God Bless your amazing family and all those who have prayed for you.
See you again my friend...
