Unexpectedly, I received an email from my previous nanny.  She was only with us for about a month.  I knew it was temporary going in, but she was a good fit and allowed me to keep looking for a more permanent nanny.  She was actively looking for a job in her field, and I did not expect her to find one so quickly, but it all worked out.  Her last week was right before Thanksgiving, so I was a bit surprised to receive an email from her now.

On her last day, she noticed the portrait we have in our living room of our entire family – including Nelle and Iris – and asked about it.  Standing over Autumn’s crib, I told her that we had lost two babies.  I choked a bit on my own words as I looked down at my little daughter and said “we’ve been waiting a long time for her.”

Here was the email I received (edited only slightly to remove identifying information).

I had no idea that the little girl I was holding in my arms was so special. Your story really hit me hard, and I’m honored that you shared it with me on the last day. After hearing it, I realized how strong of a woman you are, to have gone through such a storm. 

I’m happy you were blessed with Autumn; she’s an incredible little soul. Theo and Quentin are wonderful kids too. I’m sure they have their moments as young children, but I can tell when kids are really creative with strong imaginations…they tend to do great things in life. Those boys are probably going to surprise you and make you proud one day.

One of the best things about taking care of Autumn was seeing her smiling face every morning. She can’t speak right now, but her eyes said a thousand words. And I’m honored I got a chance to hold her in my arms and take care of her. Thank you so much for the opportunity, but more importantly thank you for allowing me to be a little slice of your family – even though it was for a short while. 

I just wanted to send you a proper thank you before the year was over. I hope Christmas preparations are going smoothly. I have your family Christmas card and always smile when I see Autumn. Thank you again.

Her words were so incredibly heartwarming.  Sometimes I shy away from saying “Autumn is special” because a lot of people would say “all babies are special!”  And while true that babies are special, every parent thinks their children are special, I realized that what is special about Autumn is her story.  Her story touches people, and will always be a part of who she is.