Keely & Papa

Keely & her Papa on the day she was born December 14, 2012
 

On November 23rd 2012 Keely's Papa Hill joined her in Heaven. As difficult as it is losing another family member so important to our lives its brings some comfort in knowing that Keely now has her Papa with her everyday and she is being well taken care of. During Keely's time here her papa wasnt in the best health and neither was she. I now picture them spending time and playing together like they both never could while here on earth. When the two of them were still here he would stop in for a little visit to see Keely. She would be laying on her spot on the couch and she would hear our door chime ring and could hear him come in and would listen carefully as she would sit and listen to his footsteps approach her. She would be happy to see her Papa. He would come in and yell "Keely, Papa's here to see you, wheres that little girl?" He would sit on the couch and talk with her and she as Keely always did contently listened and watched. As we sat bedside Donnie's bedside during the end of his life I found myself wondering often if she was near and waiting for him. In our tradition when the end of a life is near we are told our ancestors and loved ones who have passed come for our loved one. I pictured Keely in her little traditional dress of brown and pink with her little pig tails skipping along and waiting to give her papa big hugs and kisses. He always missed Keely after she passed, he would not (or better yet could not) speak of her to often. I could tell he was always very sad and it was very difficult for him to think of her gone. Last Christmas we printed off a picture of Keely and Jordan when Keely was about 2 months old (prior to diagnosis) and made it into an 8x10, framed it and put a little plate on the bottom that read "Our Namesakes, Jordan Donnie Miles Hill & Keely Louise Hill" and we gave it to him for Christmas. When he opened it, he cried like the day he did when he seen her for the first time lying in her casket. He made us all cry, that day he reminded me that I wasnt the only one that missed her, not having to say anything at all but just sharing tears of remembering her. Tears are words that cannot be spoken, and that moment alot was said.
Keely now has her papa to walk beside, holding hands, and together they can spend the time together that I couldnt even spend with her doing the things she can now do. I picture her in her papa's arms and they are both smiling. Neither one of them would ever be well on this earth and together they are in Heaven. She is going to be well taken care of <3 How Beautiful Heaven must be!

Jordan Donnie Miles Hill & Keely Louise Hill

"The longest life is short and the shortest life is miraclous" - Joseph Gallagher