Saturday, December 26, 2009

Missing Danny



   This year on June 24th my husband's brother Danny died after heart failure due to complications of his diabetes.  He was 34 years old. 
   It was very obvious that Danny was missing this year, we all missed him & there was more than one time when we all had tears in our eyes.
Kelly & Danny at our wedding in 1998.


 
   Little Annie was particularily missing Danny. Many times in the week leading up to Christmas I caught her quietly crying because she was missing him.  He was the Uncle who would even play Polly Pockets :)

   This Christmas I was blessed to be able to be able to give a special gift.  A very simple gift of pillows, but these pillows were made from Danny's old shirts.  Shirts we all remember him wearing, shirts he practically wore out.  The wear & tear made them only more special. 
   They were not perfect.  I am still learning to sew, but they were made with love.


   The pillow Annie received is a pillow that I bonded with while sewing.  The day I made it was a day when Annie was stuggling with missing him.  I started thinking of that & I cried almost the whole time I was sewing.  I knew it would be Annie's pillow.

   When I gave Annie her pillow Christmas Night she curled up in a ball hugging it tight with tears in her eyes. 
 
   How thankful we are that we can cling to Jesus as our hearts are hurting from missing him.  Thankfully, Danny loved Jesus too & enjoyed Christmas in heaven.
 

27 comments:

Debra@CommonGround said...

Libbie, I so know what you are saying, My brother who was 44, died 5 years ago next weekend. We all still miss him, he was such a funny guy, always made us laugh. It did us good to talk about him yesterday, we all laughed and reminisced. The pillows made from his shirts is just the sweetest idea, and a "tangible" way to hug and remember. Bless your little Annie's sweet heart! And bless your's for your inspiration in making them!
love Debra

Sara @Osmosis said...

The shirt pillows are a great idea! A beautiful reminder that doesn't have to be put away.

He & Me + 3 said...

Libbie,

Those are the best made pillows ever because they were made with love and from your heart. What an awesome idea. Your little Annie is just beautiful. I can only imagine how much Danny is missed. So glad you will all see him again some day in heaven.
Hugs,
Mimi

Juliana said...

My brother left us in April this year...he was 24 years old. I had no idea at that the holidays could ever be this hard. It was like my heart was a ball of rubber band and kept snapping over and over. I was a mess. I love this blog, I am a newer follower and I just love the pillows you are an amazing person.

Kelsey @ Seattle Smith's said...

The love you put into such a sweet thing was obviously so appreciated. Thinking of you and your family through such a hard time.

DUTA said...

The pillows made out of the shirts of the beloved one who has died untimely - is a stunning idea.

May you never again know grief!

Debbie said...

The pillows were a wonderful idea! They are sure to be treasured always! *hugs*

Merry Christmas,
Debbie

marie said...

What special gifts of remembrance for your family! Annie looks so happy with her pillow.

I'm so sorry to hear about Danny ~ but what a blessing to know that he's celebrating Christmas with Jesus this year!

Lisa said...

I'm so sorry for your loss. What a special way to remember him and to bring comfort to the people who loved him. You did a great job. They look really good.

Andrea said...

What a beautiful gift....I love this idea and indeed it will special for years to come. I, too am sorry for your loss. My youngest sister died tragically at age 17 and she is never more than a thought away.
Blessings, andrea

Nikki (Sarah) said...

what an amazing gift...Danny's life and those pillows....Sarah

MS/AC Fan said...

Such a fun guy, and loving uncle to all the kids. We miss Danny too.

Marla said...

I am so sorry to hear abou your loss. You are such a good mama to think about doing the pillows. God is so good to use our creative hearts to deliver healing ... even one pillow at a time. You are all in our prayers today.

Karen said...

Oh, Libbie, that is heart wrenching. I see the special love and tribute you gave Danny with your pillows will bless many. God bless your family and give you comfort. I have a feeling God gave Danny a pillow too, this Christmas.

Andrea said...

You are very welcome, sweetie. Hang in there and thanks for your sweet note on arise 2 write.
Hugs and love, andrea

That Crazy Ajumma said...

The first year after you lose someone is the hardest.We are experiencing that right now.My husbands mother passed in March,a week after his own birthday.She had surgery 2 weeks prior and never fully recovered.I have a wonderful poem I was sent that will touch your heart.I will email it to you.

Karen said...

I've seen people do this. I think it is a wonderful way to allow your daughter to connect with him. I would've been bawling the entire time too. What special gifts! You will get through this - promise.
Thanks for visiting me! It's nice to meet you!
Happy New Year! Karen @ Some Days Are Diamonds

Anonymous said...

Christmas is always a diffucult time of the year for those of us who have lost..... I am so very sorry for your pain.
With time I hope the pain lessens & the memories become a comfort!
Love,
Marilyn

Grandma Yellow Hair said...

I am so sorry to about your loss and Christmas is hard when you miss a loved one so much. The pillows are beautiful and such a thoughtful sweet thing to do.
My oldest son is a diabetic since he was 14 and now my granddaughter at age 7. Breaks my heart to know that have this disease.
Take care
Maggie

Delena said...

I came across your blog and so glad I did. My mother died on June 24th 1980. My sister's mother-in-law died on June 24th 2 years later. I was touched by your tribute and wished I had some of my mom's clothing to make a memory quilt. I do have some of her crochet blankets and they are a treasure to me. Your pillows are beautiful.

worldmomma said...

How sweet. What a beautiful idea.

Obee Designs said...

Dear Libbie,
I am so sorry to hear about your loss. It truly put tears in my eyes. I cry over these sad stories and my heart goes out to you. As you may know, I too lost someone I love, my father, to heart disease and failure. He struggled with it for so long. It is such an eye opener to watch someone be so sick. We all seem to take good health for granted. My daughter was so broken up over the whole thing. She wanted to find a way to help others dealing with the loss of someone near and dear to them so she makes necklaces with their picture on it and a heart with wings on the other side. I think it is very cathartic to do something like your shirt pillows or the necklaces to help heal and ease the pain. It is a great way to still find a way to hold on to them.
My heart breaks for your sweet little (adorable, by the way) daughter. She is so young to have to experience that level of loss in her life.
My prayers go out to you and your family. I'm sure the holidays have been quite hard. Just know you have many blog friends out there who have gone through the same kind of profound loss and are here for you. It is not easy and you just don't know how and when it will hit you. Stay strong, my friend, especially for your children's sake.
Just know you are in my prayers.
XoXo
Gail

Rose said...

What a great post...and great idea for remembering your husband's brother. Touched my heart!

Dana said...

I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my father 2 years ago and my mom and I have been trying to figure out what to do with his shirts. Thank you for this perfect idea. I love reading your stories!

Cindi Harrell said...

so sorry Libbie :(

karen said...

Hunni You did a great job on these cushions. They were made with love and from the heart and that means a lot in my book. I'm very sure they will be cherished for a long time to come.
I'm sorry for your loss.
(((hugs)))
karen

Adrian said...

Dan....you guys called him Danny....I remember it like it was yesterday. It's happened over 6 years ago, time flies. It's gotten easier, not forgotten. There is not a day gone by I don't think about him. Until I see you again buddy....Panama!!!