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Welcome Friends! Welcome to Charlie's Web Page. Please let us know each time you visit, by signing his guestbook.
Charlie J. Cowan
Born: July 18, 2001 -- January 24, 2002
Journal
Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 04:26 PM (CST) 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days. No matter how you look at it, a year is actually quite a long time.
So why does it seem like it was just yesterday that Charlie took his last breath? We give most of the credit to Charlie because we know he is still very much with us each and every day. He sends us signs daily! And we also credit our family and friends because you have helped us retain his memory. We have been blessed with Charlie's angel park and his own brick, his own blooming bush, and a beautiful Charlie bench. We have the Charlie J Cowan star that shines brightly over us each night, a family movie that Charlie is the star of, and these are just a few of the many, many daily reminders of Charlie that you have blessed us with.
We spent a lot of time on Friday remembering one year ago. The weather was cold, just like it was a year ago. The girls were actually pretty excited about Charlie Day. They could hardly wait to pick out balloons, and they were ready to sing songs...just Celebrate Charlie. We gathered all of our "stuff" and then headed to see the "Man of the Hour"! We finally removed his Frosty pick and replaced it with a huge pink heart, for Valentine's Day. Then Maggie left the bird food she had made for him at school; she is hoping he'll get more friends this way. And Abby lined us up to sing all of Charlie's favorite songs; The Wheels On the Bus, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Jeff brought his poem and read it with tears. Then we set the balloons free and just watched them float up to him, just like we did a year ago!
It was nice, but cold. We looked at the time and decided that we would run into town, then head back to Charlie because we wanted to be there with him at the very minute.... The girls didn't quite understand the significance of this, but it was important to us, Charlie's mommy and daddy, because it was then that he took his last breath in our arms. We wanted to remember.
We returned with a few minutes to spare, and to find Charlie's aunt Yma and cousin Bodhe waiting there for us. Yma is the aunt that made the incredible journey for the Holy Mud, for Charlie. So the kids kind of played and Yma read outloud from a beautiful book of "remembrances". To be honest, I was crying and don't really remember the actual words, but I know it offered strength and comfort to us. It reminded us to be grateful for the time we had with him, rather than without, and that he continues to be with us. To be honest, since the time Charlie was first diagnosed, that is how we've looked at time. It definitely isn't always easy to not feel robbed and cheated of our sons life, but our glass is always pretty much half full for us!
God blessed us with Charlie for 6 months and 6 days. God also let us be his mommy, daddy, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and his friends. In those few months, Charlie had a favorite song, favorite toy, favorite position, favorite book. And we are ever so thankful for these things. These are the memories that we cling to daily!
Charlie has strengthened us and our values, has provided us with a wonderful support system of family and friends, and has reunited us with our Faith.
It has been quite the journey...and all for our son and brother, Charlie.
So, it is with a heavy heart (and many tears:)) that the journey online comes to a close. You have opened your hearts and let us share Charlie with you for more than 18 months! And we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for that. His legacy will live on forever, because of you!
Our 2003 goal is to set up a permanent website for Charlie, and put it on the SMA Angels site. It's only appropriate that he be included with all the other Angels! We will announce on this site when it's completed, so please check back every once and a while.
This is my final request to all his very faithful stalkers: In honor of Charlie, please sign his guestbook one last time. I know it won't be easy for some of you:), but I plan on printing it off and keeping it forever, and ever, and ever and ever!
With love and gratitude INFINITY (remember, that's Abby's word?),
Kathy, Jeff, Abby, Maggie and the Man of the Hour, Charlie J Cowan
Look at past journal
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Links: http://www.fsma.org/booklet.htm Families of SMA website http://www.marshallpotter.com My buddy Marshall's website |
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