Summer Journaling

Thoughts of my niece came to mind during my recent summer journal entries.  It was two weeks before Easter that her boyfriend was killed in an all too familiar and horrible manner many city youths  encounter while being at the "wrong place at the wrong time."  A day or two after his death she announced to both sets of parents that she was pregnant.

I can't even begin to know or understand the pain she is going through.  My sister tells me that my niece still cries and looks out the window as if she's waiting for him to visit.  She's been receiving incredible support from both families and this support will probably remain throughout the journey of her child.

I'm quite sure that the day Alexandrea is born (she's being named after her father) it'll be a day filled with heavy emotion.  I can't imagine the mixed feelings of joy and sorrow as the mother of Alex holds her deceased son's child for the first time.  Will she see her son as she holds this baby?  Of course the same holds true for my niece.  Will she see Alex in her child when she begins to laugh, smile or frown?  Will she have his quirks?

One thing baby Alexandrea and my niece will definitely have is support from family.  We're a large group and there's no way these two will be left to fend for themselves.  I suppose, now that I think about it,  she's really NOT "alone" as it's entered on the top journal page.  But she'll probably wish she was as we're a family always wanting to get together.  LOL!