Grateful... Just Plain Grateful...

A year ago tomorrow will be the day that we took Ella home after a month-long stay at BCCH. The second of our three stays there with Ella...

A year ago tomorrow, I was fortunate to live again with my daughter at home for nearly two weeks... Though she was on oxygen therapy, she at least was home with me...

Throughout it all, through the last year, through the good days and the bad days, through the panic and the grief, I survived my ordeal because I felt loved and supported by my family: my mom, my dad, my sister and my brother, their spouses and my nephew and Goddaughter...

But beyond the love and support I received from my family is the other kind love and support I felt...

The love and support that comes from friends who without any expections in return sent my and Ella's way...

There were visits at BCCH, presents for Ella, an onion tart to feed her maman and other kinds of tasty goodies, calls to check in on us, Guinness smuggled in to our room on one of those days, messages and encouragements being sent on Facebook by mail and by email, donations made in Ella's memory, hundreds of cards and even ladybugs mementos... And through it all, love and faith carried Ella and I forward...

As I started my first day back at work in 15 months today, just like it was the case throughout Ella's illness and after her passing, I felt the love and support of my friends and family uplift me...

Since I decided I would attempt a return to work, there were more words of encouragements, emails, cheers and calls...

And as I headed to work today, more messages, cheers, calls, even flowers - pink of course and embraces came my way...

Since I came back from my first day's work tonight, there's been so much more love and support...

What else can I say but "thank you! / merci " to the hundreds of family members and friends, here in Vancouver, throughtout Canada, in the US and even overseas who have carried me, my grief, my broken heart and my angel forward on this journey back to life...

I am grateful... Just plain grateful... for your love and your support!

I could not be so strong without you having my back and complete confidence in me. And on behalf of Ella, my little angel who I know wants nothing more than for her maman to be happy again, I'll say it once more: "Merci! / Thank you!"

ELLA - Everyone Loves Little Angels