Smiles for Sophie

Almost two weeks ago, I was brought to tears at a nursing neurological conference that I went to for work. The keynote speakers brought down the house for me.
After their hour talk, I could think of nothing else.

They lost their daughter to an inopperable brain tumor...the details and links will follow. They are from Avon Ohio.

Their story was amazing.....this child was such an old soul that actually came to teach compassion and love. She never complained about her illness and was such a wise, and giving soul.

Even on her "make a wish cruise", she did not want any gifts...she only wanted to go to the gift shop to buy gifts for the princesses she was to meet each day.
She started to be drawn to rainbows in the end and would say she did not just like pink anymore, but she liked all the colors.

Her mom was so beautiful and shared her regrets about not just being in the moment.....talked about at the end when she was on Hospice, Sophie could not talk or move and could just sit on the sofa and how she would come in frequently and talk to Sophie and check on her but regrets not just sitting and holding her the whole day instead she was finishing the laundry and doing household tasks and trying to care for her other child.

Her dad talked about how Sophie was ultimately a teacher for a group of teens. He carried her onto the beach (Lake Erie) in the end and wanted her to enjoy the lake ......and while he was walking by this group of teens, one teen said "isn't that sweet? I am going to be a dad like that some day." then the other teen said "Yeah.....if you want a retarded kid." Sophie's dad asked an elderly couple to watch Sophie while he ran back and gave the kids a "smiles for Sophie bracelet" and told them to look up her website on line. One of the teens did look up the website and emailed Sophie's father and said he was sorry and said what he learned from the incident. She was a teacher for those teens and helped them learn compassion.

also,read about the rainbow that appeared on the way to the funeral home before Sophie's first viewing here: http://smilesforsophie.blogspot.com/2007/10/somewhere-over-rainbow.html

also her site is linked below: http://www.smilesforsophieforever.org/

Thanks Emily and Marc for sharing with us at the conference. Your family has not left my mind since and I just wanted to thank you for sharing your story and for making the world a better place for us all.
Please watch the video below!!!!!!

Namaste,
Michele
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuAUsnYK1aA