Today is the day of Mikayla’s funeral and celebration of her life. We have decided not to attend, the least of which because we’re all still feeling ill. I also don’t know whether I can be strong in the eyes of my children while balling my eyes out over the dreadful passing of a seven year old girl.
Beth has surprised me when dealing with Mikaya’s death. It has been said that children with autism don’t have feelings or that they don’t feel the same things as other ‘normal’ people. Beth was the first of my children to tell me of Mikayla’s passing when she came out of school on Monday. They were told at 11am that morning and she kept it with her until 3.30 that afternoon. Yesterday when driving she pointed up to the sky and stated that Mikayla was up there. She the asked why she had died. Just because emotions aren’t always on the surface does not mean that they are not there.
Mikayla has shown our little community and in some cases the nation what is important in life. She has inspired parents to show their love where there were walls before, she has inspired people to say I love you before it’s too late. I have no doubt that she has also inspired more than one child at her school to go on and become a doctor, to stop this tragedy happening to other families. It’s hard to see the sense in a death of a child so young, but it’s easy to see why she was brought here in the first place. I hope that today brings the family peace and happy memories.