Dear Ayden,

This day last year, you were unexpectedly taken from us.  Even though more than 30 million seconds have passed, it still feels like it happened moments ago, in the blink of an eye.  We are working on traffic safety measures and seeking justice from those responsible. The wheels of policy and civil litigation are turning, but I’m so sorry that they turn so slowly.

The world around us moves on, and we continue to learn how to live without you.  We are learning how to smile again, but we miss your laughter.  We are learning how to love again, but we miss your hugs and kisses.  Your baby brother just started preschool, the same one you went to, and he is learning how to appreciate things now.  Just the other day, he said “I love it” when I gave him a new dinner bowl, in the exact same endearing way you used to say those words.

Thank you for sending us rainbows, especially when we least expect them, even though it is not the same as having you here with us.

We miss you.

Love, baba, mama, and didi