To Amélie

I first knew of your coming to the world in summer 2008, when your mother had to rush into a hospital after an intercontinental flight to Canada, as she did not know she had Joaquin and you with her. Then, after quite tough pregnancy you were born on 15 December 2008, some weeks before foreseen. But that was not the start of an easy life. You had a very difficult start, you were so small and not yet developed, so you had to stay in hospital some more months. I have saved in my brain the picture of your brother Joaquin the first time he saw you...

But your life was not going to be easy. You were always connected to machines for breathing and for feeding, sleeping was a torture for you. The first time we met, you hardly noticed me, as I could feel how sick you were. But it did not matter; your parents, and everybody around you, gave you all the love they had, because, in your case, a trip between Frankfurt and Mechelen was worth only for touching you, only for getting a smile from you: they were scarce, like diamonds, but true, and one had to keep them as treasures, like diamonds.

Yesterday, though, after months of quite good evolution, which brought some optimism to us, you decided to leave us. Why? Was it written to be your destiny? Were you tired after a tough three years of life? Your brother to be born in a few weeks will not meet you, your brother Joaquin will not see you while both of you grow up, your parents will not take care of you, ..., I will go to Mechelen and you will not be there. The void you leave on Earth, which you created in just three years, is enormous, Amélie, but I am sure you will cover also an enormous void up there in heaven. I hope you can find there the rest you did not have among us.

From there, you will watch us. From now on, take care of your parents and brother as they were taking care of you on Earth.

Now, you have become inmortal, Amélie: I will always have you in my mind.