Meet Henry

Meet Henry

Henry's Story

Henry Leland Seretta was born on April 14, 2014. This little monster invaded our hearts even before he was born. He was a completely healthy and happy baby, until he started getting an ear infection and colds in mid-October. We finally got rid of the ear infection, but the cold symptoms never fully disappeared. Over the weekend of November 8 & 9, Henry got significantly sicker. He was admitted to Children's Hospital in Omaha on November 10, 2014, and was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia on November 11, 2014. He fought hard for nearly two weeks, before passing away on November 22, 2014. This blog depicts our journey through the grief of losing Henry. If you would like to read more about his medical journey, you can visit his CaringBridge page. More photos and community posts can be found at our Hope for Henry Facebook page. Thank you for sharing this journey with us!

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Valentine's Day

I have to admit, I've never been a huge fan of Valentine's Day. Sure, as a kid I decorated a box and got Valentines to pass out to my classmates. And the Valentine's party was a nice break from doing school work. But then I spent several of my young adult years working at retail establishments, and I saw the other side of Valentine's Day...the frantic, oh-crap-I-forgot-and-I-know-you're-closing-but-I-just-need-to-grab-a-card side. And once I became a teacher, Valentine's Day became one of those days I just had to make it through...knowing very little would actually get done.

I had my single years, when Valentine's Day posts made me a little sick to my stomach, as I tried to be independent and proud of my single status. And I had years when I was dating someone and Valentine's Day still made me sick to my stomach...because then I had to find that perfect card and gift! Now I'm married, and Valentine's Day no longer induces anxiety, but that's probably because we definitely keep it low-key. 

But I do have a bit of a different perspective on Valentine's Day now. Sure, it's a commercial holiday. But it is a day to celebrate love. And there are plenty of kinds of love to celebrate. There's the kindergarten crush, the young and innocent love of life (and candy!), the first kiss kind of love, the newlywed love and the we've been married forever love, the love between friends, the love for our kids and our parents, the love of family. I am lucky to have lots of these loves in my life, and I am especially lucky to be married to THE love of my life. When I said I do, I had no idea what life would throw at us. But I know that I wouldn't be the strong person I am today without my husband by my side. So although I'm still not a huge believer in Valentine's Day, I am a believer in love, and I am thankful for all the love I've been surrounded with now and throughout my life. I hope everyone was able to find something to celebrate today, whether it's the love of a partner, a child, or of those chalky conversation hearts. Happy Valentine's Day!

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