I found this on the internet, and it touched me. I know that others mourn Shannon's passing too, and that she was a finished baby, but I wanted to share, just the same ...

Just Those Few Weeks

For those few weeks-
I had you to myself.
And that seems too short a time to be changed so profoundly.
In those few weeks-I came to know you...
And to love you too.

You came to trust me with your life.
Oh, what a life I had planned for you!
Just those few weeks-
When I lost you.
I lost a lifetime of hope, plans, dreams, and aspirations...
A slice of my future simply vanished overnight.

Just those few weeks-
It wasn't enough to convince others how special and important you were.
How odd, a truly unique person has recently died
and no one is mourning the passing.

Just these few weeks-
And no "normal" person would cry all night
over a tiny, unfinished baby,
or get depressed and withdraw day after endless day.
No one would - so why am I?

You were those few weeks my little one
you darted in and out of my life too quickly,
But it seems that's all the time you needed
to make my life so much richer
and give me a small glimpse of eternity.

-Susan Erling