Running

Parents who never held the child they lost often find comfort by retreating to a special place in their imagination. In this place, their own patented version of heaven, they see this child, they kiss the tiny cheek, and they grasp the searching fingers in their own. Although they cannot show this child human love, they pray the angels will and imagine him or her being held closely. They picture their child as healthy, whole, innocent, and beautiful. They see that little personality developing in a warm environment of growth, acceptance, and love.Memory and imagination are wonderful gifts. In her book Running: Ians Story, author Janette Johnsons poetry reflects her trip to her imaginary place. She never had the chance to hold her grandson Connor. Ian, Connors brother, was born with a serious disability. Johnson imagines what it must be like for Connor among the angels, where he runs for Ian, who cant run. Her poetry shares the pain of loss following the death of a child and the joy and sadness that can come with having a child with a disability. Its also the dream of a heaven where brothers are reunited, both healthy and happy.Running: Ians Story shows God understands the grief of those who have lost a child. He realizes that sometimes parents cling to the thread of imagination until the day theyll hold that child perhaps for the first time.