however, i saved every card, email and note i received after coopers birth, surgery and death. i had a box full of stuff. i knew that i needed to do SOMETHING with it, but the thought of the task was just too overwhelming. i didn't even know where to start and i was grieving and hurting too much.
enter marta.
i began reading marta's blog shortly before cooper was born. i felt in instant connection, like she was my long lost friend. i loved her posts, her sense of style and how she talked about her beloved boy. sometime after cooper's death, i realized that she helped people create books out of their memories. i immediately knew that i had found the person to create a book for sweet cooper.
but how do you ask someone to take on a project so personal? we were not talking about someone's memoirs, the subject was a 3 week old whose life was cut short. and would she want to tackle such a project, knowing that she had a baby not much older than cooper? would it be too close to home?
i figured all i could do was ask. so i carefully crafted an email, giving her a brief summary of our story, my vision for the project, and the link to my blog so she could read more. i hit send and waited. i think i checked my email obsessively, anxious to see her response. of course her reply was caring, gracious, thoughtful and pure marta.
after several emails back and forth, we embarked on a journey together with one mission, sweet precious cooper. i boxed up the things i had saved and sent them to her and she began her own journey. a journey that took her into the depth of my heart and soul, my son and the love we had for him, and in time she too came to know and love cooper.
this morning i received an email from marta telling me that the book was being printed and sent to me for approval. after i had a chance to look it over and make changes, it would go to the printer and then to the bindery. yes this is the real deal. she also attached a post about her journey on this project and her perspective of our story. there was a puddle on my computer when i finished reading it. and i wanted to share it with you all.
marta's willingness to take on this project means more to me than i can express. she has poured her heart into creating this book for us and by doing so as helped us heal. i can not wait to see the final edition and will share bits with you here in time. but more importantly, i am honored to be able to call marta a friend and am sure that we will stay connected, thanks to the world of blogging.
thank you marta.
your kindness is incredible lucinda. am so thankful to take part of cooper's book. it means so much to me. xo.
ReplyDeleteI came here from marta's blog. what a beautiful collaboration and a very, very special book.
ReplyDeleteI can totally understand why you chose Marta to design Cooper's book, Lucinda. Her designs are incredible, the way she writes is amazing and she always finds the right words. I can only imagine how special it will be for you.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading your story or let's better say Cooper's story on Marta's blog there was this story popping up in my head that I read in a book a long time ago. I've already posted a comment on Marta's blog. So maybe you already read it over there.
But here it is again... just for you:
The story was about a very very very old soul who's time was almost up. But they descided to send the very very very old soul down to earth again because it had a lot of alacrity, curiosity, amazement, happiness, and love left to give to the humans. They knew the very very very old soul has to return to heaven very soon to merge into eternity. But all the happiness it had left to share for even just a very very very short time was enough happiness to help the newborn’s parents and loved ones to get over the lost and mouning. And so it happened...as the very very very old soul was called to it’s ceremony of mergence with the eternity it had to leave earth. But the memories of the baby where nothing but happy, everyone could bear the mouning. And from that time forward they sent all the very very very old souls back to earth to share the happiness they had left. This happiness gives the humans the strength to bear the following mouning and turn it step by step - bit by bit - little by little into something great.
I think this story fits your story so perfectly.
Your Cooper came to bring you so much happiness.
Today I was looking for the book and I found it. So if you want to have the whole story just let me know and I will translate it for you (the book is in German).
I am sending you all my love.