Here are three scenarios that might take place in my dream world...  

1.  …I would be sitting on an island somewhere (with a fruity drink in my hand, of course) watching Eliana run around on the beach while I would try to keep Glory cool enough to stay outdoors.  Some of my sweetest memories of Glory are of the few minutes each day we were able to take her outside on the front porch of our Little Rock house last summer.  She would develop little beads of sweat on the tip of her nose after about 30 seconds…it was an extremely hot summer last year, as you probably remember.  But, then again, her little body was never able to regulate heat well, anyway. 

2.  …We would be taking a family trip to Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri with my brother, Daniel (Glory's middle name is after his), and his family.  Between both of us, there would be six kids running around at our feet, and I would be searching for a place to hook up Glory's oxygen tank.

3.  …Glory could dance.

Glory's headstone was finally set in the ground this afternoon.  It has been a long and very emotional road to this completion.  I think it may be because the words "Glory Girl" will never look right on a gravestone to me.  They shouldn't be there.  They should be embroidered on a hot pink shirt that she should be wearing while running around on the back deck with Eliana…

I didn't feel worse…I felt at ease…I was very aware of the fact that the permanent monument standing before me stood to serve as a reminder for generations to come of a very special little girl that would have called me "mommy" if she could have used her mouth for talking and not just sticking her tongue out.