This picture was taken in March of 1991. This is the picture that our friend Doug Vandegrift used as a model, to do an oil painting of Ashleigh for us, it hangs in our living room. Ashleigh's left eye is noticeably turned in. Soon after this photo was taken she had surgery to straighten her eye; it was successful. Less than a month later, signs that the tumor had "come back" were becoming obvious to us.Early this morning Michael and I went to the cemetery. The morning sky was overcast and the grass was wet, due to the rain during the night... and probably the sprinklers too. We were completely alone, except for two deer standing on the grass; they disappeared into the bushes shortly after we arrived. We brought our traditional dozen short-stemmed roses, eleven pink and one white, and placed them in the vase at her grave. There were probably only a half-dozen graves with flowers on them this morning, her roses stood out against the backdrop of green lawn, it was beautiful and peaceful.
Today is Ashleigh's day.
To me it is a special day...
maybe even sacred.
It has been twenty years.
That seems unbelievable.
I think of her every day.
But on this day I reflect.
I feel gratitude.
I'm glad she is mine... forever.
