grieving and grateful

Today, I read an update on a blog and family I have become familiar with via one of my good friends, Anna, and her husband, Drew. Since first getting an email request to pray for the family several months ago, I have been reading about their progress. But today's news and update was read with a heavy heart and realization.
This is a young couple who are followers of Christ and who had a baby boy about the same time Susannah was born. He had several serious health issues, including a disease called RCDP. He was often in pain and had subsequent consequences of his condition, but his parents wrote often of his development, both in personality and character. He loved them and his extended family and would giggle and enjoy everyday treasures, including frosty's and hugs. His 26-year-old mother writes about his sweet cheeks and good sense of humor. In just two years, little ones develop into a huge place in our lives and hearts.
Today, his family will bury Ian and hold a celebration of his life at 5 p.m. in Alabama. You can read more about him and how to help his family battle for a cure for the disease that took his life at this website.
Learning about their struggles and triumphs, as difficult as they are to understand, has made me treasure each moment with Susannah in a very different way. I imagine reading their story will cause you to hug your little ones a little longer too.
Finally, I never have known what to offer to those struggling with so much more hurt than I can understand. It's certainly not compassionate to offer quippy prayers or scripture references.
Instead, I can say that I can't stop thinking about the moments they are experiencing today during the funeral and for the rest of their lives without little Ian. I pray that their faith and guidance from above continue to give them peace beyond all understanding because man alone cannot fill the void that has been made in their lives.