Love You Forever

When I was young, I remember my mom reading Love You Forever by Robert Munsch.  It was one of our favorites that we requested frequently.  As a young child I remember my mom getting emotional while reading the book, but I never quite understood.  Even today, some *cough* 30 years later, she still concludes each phone conversation by saying "love you forever."

At the beginning of our TTC journey I started stockpiling a bunch of things I wanted/needed for a future baby.  I bought this book and tucked it away in the "future baby" box.  Rereading the book as an adult made me understand why my mom got emotional reading the book when I was a child.

When I was going through infertility I couldn't bear to think about this book.  It portrayed the deep bond between a mother and her child, a dream that I was beginning to think would never come true for me.  So it stayed tucked away in the box and there it stays.

Through the last year of so I've purged most of the contents of my "future baby box."  No sense in keeping it around since I'll never be able to use it, and I can't bear the thought of giving it to someone I know.  The book remains in the box, along with a few other odds and ends that I can't bear to get rid of yet.  Now I tear up just thinking about it.  I don't think of it often, but tonight I did.

Tonight I was reminded of the book when I read this article.  As it turns out, there is more to this book than meets the eye.  His reason for writing the book makes me simultaneously love it more and cry that much harder.  I reread the book.  I cried.  Mr. Munsch wrote a beautiful book that speaks of great love, but he knows this great loss too.

I think I'll always love this book.  It holds many positive memories.  But I think it will always be a painful one too.  I think that Mr. Munsch understands.