A Week of Reminders

Dear Morris,

It has been a week full of beautiful reminders and signs of you, and I can't wait to tell you all about it.

On Sunday, Daddy and I went to Grami and Papaw's house for what we thought was a birthday party for your great grandmother. It turns out that the birthday party was an excuse to get Daddy and I to the house. Unbeknownst to us, Grami and Papaw have spent this summer turning their backyard into "Morris Park".  They surprised us and the rest of the family on Sunday by unveiling their labor of love.

Papaw said that when they bought a play set for their grandchildren, they were painfully aware that you would never play on it. They wanted to do something special in your memory, and that's how Morris Park was born. The play set is connected to a patio with a porch swing so the adults can sit and watch the children play. There are rock paths (complete with a lantern guidepost) from the house to the play area and out to a huge rock fire pit area. There are beautiful gardens and memorial stones. Best of all, there is a special metal sign topped with a butterfly, and on it is the name "Morris Park" in gold.

We released purple balloons with messages to you over the swing set to dedicate the park. Daddy and my balloon said, "Morris, not a day goes by that we don't think of you. Our lives are forever changed for the better because of you.  We love you, Mommy & Daddy".  Just like the time we released balloons at the Sadie Rose picnic, the skies released a torrential downpour not long after we let our balloons go. But this time, after the skies cleared, the most beautiful rainbow filled the sky.  My grief has made me feel restless lately, but Morris Park has my heart feeling more settled than it has in a long time.

On Tuesday morning, I had an opportunity to share our story for the first time to a group of strangers. Regina, the founder of Sadie Rose Foundation, invited me to tag along to a meeting and share what the foundation has meant to me and Daddy. I've shared my letters to you with the world, but telling our story out loud for the first time was a big deal for me. I wasn't sure that I would be able to do it without crying (and I'm sure no one would have faulted me), but I got through it. It felt like another step forward in ensuring that your life has meaning and purpose. I arrived at work later that morning to find a gift on my desk from a coworker and a former coworker.  Inside was a beautiful wooden elephant with leather ears.  The card said that my friends had spotted the elephant in an antique store and instantly thought of you. I was so touched by the gift, not just because it was beautiful, but because it is a reminder that whenever I tell our story, your memory lives on.

On Wednesday, I drove to Pittsburgh with a coworker for a few days of meetings. We passed a life-size elephant statue in Somerset.  My coworker did some research and found out that the statue is in celebration of an elephant breeding ranch that is located in the city. Not long after we passed it, my friend Jamie sent me a text telling me that it was World Elephant Day.

Earlier in the week, I began reading a book that Aunt Becca gave me called "Leaving Time" by Jody Picoult. It is a fictional book about a young girl searching for her mother who disappeared after a tragic accident. A major theme in the book is the mother's research into elephants and their grief. There are several beautiful insights and parts of the book that I could relate to, but I'll share those with you another time.

When Aunt Becca gave me the book, she also gave me an envelope. She said, "Don't open the envelope until you finish the book. I think you'll appreciate it more." I'm already a fast reader, but the topic of the book and the curiosity about the envelope motivated me to finish the book even faster. Last night, around midnight, I finished the book and opened the envelope. It contained this letter:

"Dear Keri and Ryan Rankin,

The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee has received a Feed for a Day donation for Tarra from Dustin, Becca, Ava and Abigail in loving memory of Morris Keith Rankin. Please accept our sincerest condolences at this difficult time. It is always sad to learn of the death of a loved one, and we all share your loss.

This memorial contribution will be used to support the work we are doing to promote elephant welfare through education and example. You can be assured that this thoughtful gift will perpetuate the memory of Morris in a meaningful and enduring tribute.

The Elephant Sanctuary

Enclosed with the letter was a bio on Tarra. She is a beautiful elephant who has had a hard life. She was born in 1974 in Burma, Asia. At just 6 months old, she was prematurely weaned from her mother and brought to the United States. She spent her first years of life in the back of a delivery truck, used as a mascot for a tire company. She was later purchased by her volunteer caregiver, and the two traveled the world entertaining audiences in circuses, amusement parks, zoos, tv, and movies. Tarra became known for her custom watercolor artwork, and her owner used these talents to educate people about elephants.

If I hadn't already been crying after reading the letter from the Sanctuary, I would have immediately started crying when I got to the end of Tarra's bio. In the summer of 1993, after a 22 month gestation period and 2 days of difficult labor, Tarra gave birth to a stillborn calf.  Her bio notes that first-time mother elephants, both in the wild as well as in captivity, have a 33% rate of stillbirth with their first calf.  My heart breaks at the statistic. Tarra's story did get better though, because in 1995 she became the first resident and founding member of the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee. If she lives as long as the average elephant, she will live another 20 years at this natural-habitat refuge. Now that I know her story, I will be making many more donations to Tarra's care in your memory.

In the six months following your death, we have been blessed through the kind words and thoughtful actions of so many people. I don't take for granted how incredibly fortunate we are to have such amazing family and friends (old and new) as a support system on this journey. I can only hope that we are able to one day repay the benevolence and outpouring of love to others that find themselves on a similar path in life.

Love,

Mommy

Tarra

Born in Burma, Asia - 1974

Founding Member of the Elephant Sanctuary - 1995

Tarra's Bio

Photos taken from The Elephant Sanctuary website