March 14, 2013 (Mitch Luse)

Written March 14, 2013 for the 1st Anniversary of Ruby's Homegoing. A Heaven-Bound Balloon Release was hosted at Ruby's gravesight and the following delivered by Mitch.

Balloon Release Remarks: 

We’re here to remember Ruby Joy Luse, and thanks to Jesus, we have more than memories, we have the reality of Heaven to interact with, participate in, and look forward to. Yes, we remember Ruby Joy, but we will also enjoy remembering THIS day WITH Ruby Joy in the not-too-distant future. Thanks to Jesus, Ruby is as 2 Corinthians 5 describes, she is “well pleased to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” I’m reminded of an encouragement a friend gave Katie and I, which is that Ruby’s not the one dying – we are. And so we come to honor Ruby, who went home to Heaven ahead of us, and we peer into eternity glimpsing a view of our home as well.

It’s my honor to be related to Ruby Joy Luse, and to be called “Ruby’s dad.” I have the distinct privilege to be associated with such a beautiful, red-headed, warrior queen.

• We knew she had inherited the gift of persistence when in the NICU we saw that no matter how tightly we swaddled her, she would always find a way to get her right hand out and on top of the blanket – and then sleep peacefully.
• We knew Ruby loved bright colors and Christmas lights when on our first Christmas we found Ruby fixing her eyes and attention on any and all Christmas lights within a few feet – EVEN after undergoing eye surgery on both eyes to remove cataracts just three months prior.
• We knew Ruby was feisty and a warrior when she was checked into the PICU for severe respiratory distress before her 2^nd birthday and no one – not even us – knew if she would make it out of the PICU alive. She went home from the hospital PICU, as well as nearly all of the other patients who were in the PICU unit when we arrived – thankfully, they had been discharged by the time we left.
• We knew that Joy was the right middle name for Ruby when I went to wake her up one morning and she smiled before she opened her eyes.
• We knew that Ruby was the right first name as soon as we met her.

Of course, we miss Ruby and we have grieved long and hard… we grieved because she was sick, we grieved because she died, and we grieved because we miss her. We grieve just as you also have. BUT we grieve Ruby’s death for the same reason that we celebrate her life – because we love her so much.