"Do we have the right date? What if we have the wrong date?" I asked anxiously as we pulled in front of the drive at the hospice. "I'm sure I got it right in the diary, but what if I didn't?" My anxiety was talking now.

"Well, I'm sure they won't turn us away if we got the date wrong, " Leon reassured me. It was the first time we'd returned to Jigsaw Children's Hospice since Titus died. They invited our family to a special Memory Day to remember loved ones who are no longer here. I was nervous about returning to hospice, the last place we'd seen our son. We thought it would be good to attend the Memory Day at the start of Titus's birthday week.

We walked in, uncertain about what to expect. Some hospice staff members welcomed us, and they knew we were Titus's family even though we didn't know who they were. Leon and I had cups of tea, and the children quickly discovered the biscuit (cookie) table. We chatted with staff about how we've been since January. We released balloons into the sky in memory of Titus. We heard all the names of children who were gone too soon.

We had one of our most meaningful conversations with the hospice chaplain. She was with Titus in his final minutes on earth. She told us about how she appreciated us allowing her to visit Titus. Then she told us something that blew me away. Titus had a huge impact on her and the rest of the staff at Jigsaw. Hearing that brought tears to my eyes. Titus was at the hospice for less than 24 hours, and he had an impact on everyone there.

Later in the week, Leon and I got to thinking--if Titus had that much of an impact at the hospice in less than 24 hours, what kind of an impact did he have at the hospitals he visited?

We celebrated Titus's birthday this month. We began the week with our visit to the children's hospice and ended it by lighting a sky lantern and sending it off toward heaven. Our brave, strong Titus changed our lives and the lives of those he came in contact with. The week of his birthday was a time to reflect on the impact he had on our lives and his impact on the rest of the world.

I (Chrysti) have tried to write this newsletter for a week now because I struggle with knowing what to say. In a way, our ministry feels like it's been put on hold for the past year as we walked through our journey with Titus and then as we grieve his death. But Titus's story is our ministry during this season. We're learning how to use Titus's story as a testimony to God's faithfulness even though we still haven't fully healed from the trauma of the past 12 months. We continue to pray God will use our precious boy to bring others to Him.