The Giving Tree … keeps giving

Tonight we were invited to a book reading at Hannah’s infusion center.  I was iffy about going because I didn’t want to force the kids to go to an event that was mostly for patients and their families.

I keep questioning whether we belong at these type of events now that Hannah is gone.  I mean, Hannah is technically no longer a patient or is she considered forever a patient?  I don’t know what the “etiquette” is on this.

Am I even considered a “special needs” mom anymore?

I left it up to the kids if they wanted to go to the event.  It was a resounding yes, so we went.  It was hosted by Circus Couture, and Abby and Ethan were front and center next to Dawn Marie, the enthusiastic and fun book reader.

Reading "The Giving Tree" to Hannah

After the event, we headed home.  About halfway home, Ethan asked if we could go visit Hannah.  It was a strange request coming from him because 1] he has never initiated and asked to go to the cemetery, and 2] he was so adamant about going.  “Please, we have to go!”   Of course, Abby joined in pleading us to go as well.  Daddy and I looked at each other, not understanding why they were both begging us to go.

We get to the cemetery right before sunset (closing time), and the kids sat down on either side of Hannah’s grave.  They took turns reading the book to her.   (They had never read a book to her at the cemetery before).

That was their plan.  They worked it out in the car together.  My two kids, who spend most of their waking time annoying the heck out of each other, came together to do this … on their own.

After they finished reading Hannah the story, I asked Ethan casually why it was so important to him that they read the book to her.  He said, “Because it was her doctor’s office, and she should have been there.  Since she couldn’t, I wanted to make sure she heard the story because she really would have liked to have been there and heard it.”

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.  It gave me something very, very special tonight.