My question to my friends on Facebook a couple of nights ago was this: Can you ever get through Love You Forever without crying? The answers seems to be exactly as I suspected . . NO! Tears come no matter how hard you try to hold them back.
Love You Forever
Chad was probably 9 or 10 when he bought the book for me, and he scribbled a little note inside. That book has always been so precious to me because not long after he gave it to me, he turned into the teen from “you know where” and we had a few rough years. There were nights when he would go to sleep and I would sneak into his room, look at him, pray for him, and often wonder how on earth we got from that sweet little boy to that typical teen boy! I always found the humor as I thought of scooping him up and rocking him while he was asleep.
I had thought about giving Addie the book Chad had given to me but decided I wasn’t ready to part with it so a couple of years ago, I got Addie her own copy.
When I first got to their house this trip, I got a chapter book about whales on my Kindle and each night I would read her a chapter. One night she wanted a different book so, instead of getting out of bed and letting her choose another book to read, I pulled up some children’s books on Amazon and let her pick what she wanted to read.
Earlier that night, she was supposed to be playing in her room and I went in to check on her and she had gone into her bathroom and I’m going to say she got water out of the faucet but deep within, I know that she dipped it out of the toilet. There was water everywhere. She had taken the toilet paper off the holder and the whole roll was in the floor, sopping wet. I said “Mommy. This is a job for you!”
When she saw the Love You Forever book on the Amazon list, she said “Look, him did what I did .. made a mess in the bathroom!” She wanted to read it so I downloaded the Kindle version and read it. She wanted to read it again so we did . . both times I had tears streaming down my face. For the next three nights, that’s the book she wanted to read and each night, the tears came.
The last night I was there, I said to her “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always” and she said “As long as you live, I’ll be your baby!”
So true!
Lee says
I’m another one who can’t get through that book without tears. I’d not heard of it until receiving it when my son was born over 17 yrs ago (I’m thankful he’s not a ‘typical teen’ at this point, but there’s a few years to go). Your post nearly brought tears when you gave those closing lines!!!
Dottie N. says
Just reading your note brings tears – so very, very sweet.
Tina in NJ says
The first time I saw that book, a good friend got it for her baby shower. She knew she wouldn’t live to the end of the story because she’d had Type 1 diabetes since she was four. She died when her son was 1. I married her widower and I’ve been a Mom since he was four. A very personal and bittersweet story.
Carolyn Sullivna says
You are not alone there! I Cry with the Polar Expres Book too!
Susan says
I read it dozens of times to my children. I read it to students year after year. I don’t think I’ve ever been able to get all the way through without tearing up. My students loved it. I guess they thought it made me human. =)
Katie Z. says
Another cryer here!
Carol R says
The first time I read this book was 16 years ago when my Mother passed away. My younger sister gave a copy to each of us five older siblings. This is part of what she wrote in the book “I thought the this book summarizes to a high degree some of the emotions we all are going through – not only with Mom, but ourselves as we age. It is a metaphor for generations”. Since then I have given a copy to others that have lost their Mother. Even though there is 18 years from oldest (86) to youngest and we are separated by miles we are still a close family and will have a family reunion this summer with all six siblings present. Mom was very special.
Gail Sheppard says
Tears … I LOVE your anecdotes!
Deb P says
Yes……….tears at this too!
Jennifer in Indy says
I worked at a children’s book store in high school and whenever someone new started, we would send them to the back of the store with a stack of books to make them cry…this was always on the top of the stack! There is another one about love for a dog that will surely do you in…I think it is called Love you Always….have the Kleenex handy!
Carolyn S says
What a sweet story! Making memories for Addie.
wanda j says
I like the one that is” I love you this much” I think is the title. All the way to the moon ans back a million times. I’ve not seen mine my darling daughter gave me years ago since I moved. NOW where is that book? Thanks for sharing I think I’ll get these for DD and DGD for Easter this year. Never know what the future holds.
Marion Morgan says
My daughter was privileged to have the author as a teacher years and years ago. He has a special bond with little ones and a great gift of writing for the young yet pull the parents in too. You know he has written other gems!
Peggy says
Awwwww! Reading about the two of you repeating the phrases brought tears to my own eyes! <3