This letter was written by Kelsey Daiber who is the wife to Alex Daiber and the mother of Ezra Daiber. Kelsey is a dear friend to Mikey and Emily. In early August 2018 her husband, Alex Daiber, passed away from brain cancer. This is a beautiful letter that weaves Blakely’s life and Alex’s life together.

Sweet Blakely,

It’s your Auntie Kels writing to let you know how loved and missed you are! It has been so hard without you here. Hard to see your parents grieving, hard to see a world continuing to move on without you, and hard to no longer be able to cuddle all of your sweetness. There is not a day that goes by where I don’t think of you and the impact your life made.

The first time I got to meet you and hold you it felt like a dream. You smiled at me and I instantly fell in love with your big blue eyes. That day I got to share the news with your mama that your cousin Ezra was growing in my belly! This day was so special. It was a time where you were doing better and your Uncle Alex and I had a lot of hope for our future even though his brain tumor had come back. Everything in this moment felt right. Our families were complete and there was hope.

But this hope faded as you began to suffer more. When I rushed to see you in the hospital on your last day I was filled with so much heartache and confusion. As soon as I entered the hospital room I saw your sweet face and I was overwhelmed by peace. Jesus was so near and you were so brave. In that moment you taught me to have courage and to not give up hope. Death never wins. Death was not your end. Death was your beginning. Death brought you home, Blakely. It brought you straight into the arms of Jesus free of seizures and suffering. What greater hope and promise is there than that?

Your life taught me a lot of things, but most importantly it gave me courage to keep fighting and to have hope. Shortly after you went to be with Jesus your Uncle Alex started to decline drastically. So many times I found myself back in the same heartache and confusion, but then I would think of you. I would think of your bravery and your peace. I remembered how God was glorified by your life and how he was continuing to be glorified through Alex’s life. Then your Uncle Alex went to be with Jesus and a deep sadness overcame me, but this time mixed with the hope you gave me the courage to have. Hope in the fact that death did not win again and this was not Alex’s end, but his beginning. Death brought Alex home into the arms of Jesus free of cancer and suffering. This time I clung to the promise that while I may be crushed, I am not destroyed because this affliction is momentary compared to eternity with Jesus.

When I’m sad, do you know what I think about? I think about you and Alex being together in Heaven. This fills my heart with joy knowing two of my favorite people are together and that I get to join you both soon! Your Uncle Alex is one of the funniest people you will ever meet. I hope he makes you laugh often! Will you give your Uncle Alex a hug for me? Tell him Ezra and I love him so much and we are so proud of the faithful life he lived.

I love you, Blakely. Thank you for filling my life with hope and my heart with so much love. Oh and in case you didn’t know, you have the best parents. In fact they remind me a lot of you. They are filled with your same bravery and peace. You will always be remembered sweet Blakely.

Love,
Aunt Kelsey