A song for Peter's birthday

Today is our first baby's due date.

He would be seven, had he been born and lived.

I wonder if he would have had allergies and loved trains like his brothers.

Maybe he would have had a birthday party with sledding and hot chocolate and roasting marshmallows in the fire with a couple of friends from school.

He would be in second grade and preparing for his first confession and first Holy Communion.

I have missed 2,555 days with him so far, and more if you factor in the pregnancy. Every single one of those days was a little less full because he hasn't been with us. Even with the craziness of five other kids and the loud house and the full bedrooms there is a little empty space where he should be.

You probably don't notice it but I do. I do.


"How can you say there are too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers."
- Mother Teresa


Today Danielle Rose is releasing her new song "Little Flower." She wants to build up a culture of life, a culture that loves and cherishes all children. Her beautiful song and her beautiful video and the Mother Teresa quote are not exactly about babies like my Peter, babies who died through miscarriage. But in  the culture that Danielle is working and praying for babies like my Peter matter because every single life matters.

So today, for Peter's could-have-been-birthday, I'm sharing this song in hopes that it helps build up that culture. Thank you, Danielle, for your beautiful gift. Thank you, God, for my beautiful children.

Happy birthday, Peter.