This photo I chose of Penelope is from a July pool party. Penelope was running around, doing her thing, and she just casually grabbed this sun hat. It was not hers or ours- it belonged to a stranger. There was a sense of urgency from on-lookers. "She has that hat!" "OH no!" "Get it!" If im honest, I felt the same- better get that hat, Emily! The same thing happened a little earlier when Penelope picked up a garden stone so she could place it just so carefully on the diving board, where a slew of young children were happily jumping into the pool. Both times, Emily calmly took her time, finished her conversation, or followed Penelope with her eyes, until she finally would make her way to Penelope and correct whatever silly situation Penelope had gotten herself into. She and I sat on the couch later and laughlaughlaughed because a very concerned lady came up to me to say that, "oh my....that little girl was running around naked at the pool." We were just giggling about the small uproar it caused, and how Emily was so unbothered- just momming around like mom's do. "They act like they NEVER

Saw a nekked toddler before!" And we cackled like little girls.

We looked at the photos of Penelope in the sun hat and Emily said "I really like these pictures, but there's not a single one where she isnt picking her nose." And we laughed again and decided it was perfect anyway, and she would print this one out to frame.

It was such a simple summer day. A story not really worth telling, except now that Emily's gone, we cant make more simple summer day memories that arent worth telling, so we just have to tell the silly, simple ones we have. As I write this one down, I imagine that one day I might read it to Penelope.

Losing a mother is losing every single simple day, every calm correction, every comforting hug. A lifetime of lost guidance, of listening to your mommy and Aunt laugh and laugh while you play around them in the living room. Something we may not think about is the financial stability that one might lose when losing a parent. We've created this fund for Penelope. We cannot give her Emily, and we cant give her all the sweet days she wont have with her mommy, but one day, when shes old enough, we will give her this gift to help lift her into the world of adulthood, and we will tell her it was in her mother's honor, and it was our honor to do it.

We love you all and thank you. Please leave a memory of your simple days with Emily- as a gift- in the comments as well.