For all the Family Life is God's gift in your trust and mine. We are the trustees of the Giver, although a life is a gift to us, the length of that life is determined only by God and therefore we can only view it as a loan.... I'll lend you for a little while a child of mine he said, For you to love the while he lives and mourn for when he's dead. It may be six or seven years, or fifty two or three, But will you, till I call him back, take care of him for me ? He'll bring his charms to gladden you, and should his stay be brief, You'll have his lovely memories as solace for your grief. I cannot promise he will stay since all from earth return. But there are lessons taught down there I want this child to learn. I looked the wide world over in my search for teachers true And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes I have selected you. So will you give him all your love, not think the labour vain, Not hate me when I come to call and take him back again. This passage is from a book by Edgar Guest and it goes on to respond... Dear Lord thy will be done! For all the joy this child will bring, the risk of grief we'll run. We'll shelter him with tenderness, we'll love him while we may, And for the happiness we've known, forever grateful stay; But should the Angels call for him, much sooner than we've planned, We'll brave the bitter grief that comes, and try to understand. God Bless you Stephen and keep you safe with your mum until we meet again xxxxx