About Jimma....FROM DADDY'S HEART

    Today, I have chosen to reveal my heart concerning my Precious Angel Jimma and the very impact of that smile of her's that would always cause me to forget the burden of the moment or the forthcoming pressure of tomorrow's cares. When Jimma would smile, it involved her whole face. Not only did her pretty little lips part and flash those beautiful, white little teeth but, her demanor would extricate the joy that she so willingly and biasedly held, wrapped-up in that fragile, pain pierced frame of hers. There was only one time frame in her life that she didn't wield a smile as I recall. The time when her daily sustenance became resistant to her, causing allergic reactions. Her brain became affected, causing her to be as if she were in another world. The doctors finally listened to my wife and I, and our inciting them to test her food for allergies. Sure enough, she had developed allergies to her sustenance to which it was changed, and she regained her cognizance. The smile was back. Until September 19, 2009. A date that has become of such disdain to me. 
    That horrific day in September would rob her of her pure, joyous, life-easing smile forever on this earth. I recall as she lay on that hospital bed at Levine's Children Hospital in Charlotte, NC, her body was struggling to fend off that hellish foe called Swine Flu. Rapid was her intakes of breath. Her lungs would no sooner expand, when it seemed the plight of breathing would yearn to be filled with air again. I watched as she and her mommy would exchange looks that went to gestures of meeting in Heavenly places. Her pretty little mouth yearned for every gentle kiss mommy would give to her, even in the struggle to breathe. Time receded and relief from the struggle and pain was imminent. A nurse brought an i.v. into her room to which she endeavored to penetrate Jimma's tiny collapsed veins. Oh the struggle my baby went through to fend off the excruciating pain of the needle punctures. The nurse instructed me to hold her one arm as she tried to find a vein in the other. I looked into those precious, pain filled eyes of hers so helplessly. She was looking at me as if she wanted to say, "Daddy make it go away." In just a few short minutes the medicine got into her system and, Jimma's body relaxed, only to succumb to the battle for her life. From that moment, I knew I'd never see her beautiful, joy emanating smile on this earth again. After a few hours of life support, Jimma's body released it's clutches of her beautiful spirit and she soared home, leaving behind one more smile to that lifeless body. Her mom said to Jimma, "I guess daddy won't be getting me that van now that you and I need," and so the little mouth of Jimma gave her approval by one more smile.
    Jimma, I love you my perfect little angel. My heart yearns to be with you. I know where you are, there in the presence of the Almighty God, Our Lord Jesus Christ. I cherish the memories of our night time prayers together and always ending them with, "Send peace to Jerusalem", to which we would give each other a smile and then, go off to sleep. One day Jimma, I will see you smile again. Until then, I trod on through this life yearning for that day.
        Love you My Big Girl,
        Daddy

Today, I sat out in my front yard, basking in the coolness of the brisk Fall weather. I became so induced into the freshness of the air that, I became overrun with all sorts of emotions. The timely sense of Revival that seems to frequent my spirit every Autumn came parading into my mind as if it were a caravan of blessings yet to come. Quickly I felt a sense of things coming to maturity and yielding themselves over to nature and the timely plan of death. At the very thought of lively trees and plants coming to an end caused a rush of extreme helplessness and sorrow, that brought about a shedding of tears as the memory of my precious little girl and her having to be as the plants and trees, and succumb to the perils of Autumn. My heart felt as if it were going to explode within my chest cavity. My eyes couldn't focus for the tears that flowed oh so fluid. The heartache and grief that I sometimes feel has been lightened, only clutch my mind with rancid, groping fingers of reality of Jimma being gone. How can it be?, I question aloud. I miss my baby oh so much. My endeavors of carrying on a life of normalcy are stifled by the desire of wanting this life to hurry it's course. My clouded mind that tries so desperately to catch a quick glimpse of my Jimma, my baby girl, is disfigured by the vastness of the plane of eternity. The Apostle Paul so clearly stated, "We see through a glass darkly," when addressing mortality and immortality. I'm thankful for Autumn but, like Summer, Spring or Winter, they all hold memories that will cause a landslide of emotions as I associate something from each one, that brings to mind, the reality of my absent precious baby girl. Daddy's girl that taught me pure love, the one that causes a yearning in my heart to embrace the moment, that I too shall give in to the Autumn of my life that will yield a harvest of reunions as of never before. Jimma, I will forever love you and hold you dear in my heart. I love you Daddy's girl. Now and forever.
Love,
Daddy

     Today is a sad day in my life. My girl, Jimma, has been gone from my arms for eleven months today. The hurt and anguish in my heart is in no wise any less hurtful than that devastating day September 19, 2009. My little seven year old became prey of the Swine Flu. It's cold black fingers, raped her body of it's soul/spirit. I hate that enemy.
      I question the duration of time that will have to come and go until I can see her again. The eternity of each separated moment blatantly tortures me with an echoing laugh of victory but, I know true victory is mine because of my Lord Jesus Christ. I have hope that one passing moment when time envelopes itself for me, will bring a grand reunion of sorts. The little lady that was escorted over the portal of mortality to immortality, will stand before me with all of Heaven's grandeur. I can imagine her with her long blonde curls and ocean blue eyes, standing with chin uplifted and a smile that would melt the coldest, blackest heart, anticipating me picking her up and exclaiming "Look at my big girl, Oh how pretty." My, what a time that will be...............I can scarcely wait. Until the reunion of Jimma and myself, I will go on......but, with the heaviness that isn't equalled by mass weights that a strongman lifts. I miss you Jimma. I miss you so much.
     I recall Jimma cutting her teeth. She had a hard time with teethers and things of the sort so, I (my fingers) became her teething ring. She would be so relieved when I would let her clamp down on my finger and I'd say, "Oh Jimma, you're biting my finger too hard," to which she would clamp down harder with such a smile that she knew it was a game that was just between her and her daddy. I'd be so elated to do it over again. I love my angel. I love you, daddy's girl. I love you dearly.

This page is dedicated solely to the purpose of Jimma's Daddy sharing precious memories, thoughts and feelings concerning life with Jimma.  Remember to bookmark this page and tell your friends about it....come back often  and  be prepared to laugh and cry as Daddy's love pours onto the pages.......They shared a remarkable love and understanding of one another....a rare gift to behold.....  If you would like to leave a comment, simply subscribe to this blog....thanks.....