As Easter was drawing near this year, I realized that it would be on the 17th of the month, exactly 5 months after Eli departed this world for the next. I was checking my Facebook messages this morning and had the thought that I needed to check the messages that Facebook doesn’t notify me of because they are from people with whom I’m not FB friends.

It turned out that someone had messaged me the day before Eli’s death. They had seen the KSL news segment about the neighborhood doing Christmas lights early for Eli (that was so awesome, by the way). This person had found this blog and read through some of the posts. One post in particular had an impact on this person and has been something that had been on my mind with the Easter holiday, celebrating Christ”s victory over death. I wrote:

“He held my hand the other day, while I tried to hold back my tears, and told me ‘This is victory’. His body may die, but his spirit will live on victorious. Christ already achieved victory over death and I look forward to the day when our family will be made whole again.” (Scroll down on that post to the second paragraph under “This Week”)

This separation from Eli is bitter, but knowing that Christ’s victory over death is Eli’s victory, and their victory is my victory. This mother may miss her son, but she knows without a doubt that she will be reunited with him. My heartbreak will be healed as thoroughly as Eli’s cancer has been eradicated by death.

Today, I celebrate our victory.