Rearview Mirror

Many parents these days have that mirror in their car that is hooked to the backseat, which allows the driver to see their child’s face and ensure they are okay in the car. I know, I know, these mirrors are fancy, and they probably didn’t have them back when I was a kid…

Anyways, I still had mine up in my car last week. When I was driving home from work, I looked to check my surroundings (yes, I try to be a safe driver), and there it was: An empty, faceless mirror.

Anyone who ever got to ride with Archer knew how much he loved the car. He never fussed when we put him in his car seat. He loved to finish his afternoon nap when dad picked him up from school. Or he and I played peek-a-boo; I was in the passenger seat, of course. Or we would just glance at your smile while driving. And boy, did he smile and light up when taking a drive until he fell asleep.

One time, while we were on our way home from church, we stopped to get lunch. Archer happened to be fussy this day, so we put Theo’s phone on his lap and played all of his favorite songs. This calmed him down and got him distracted, and Theo and I were even singing along to the songs. All of a sudden, we hear:

“The wheels on the bus,” and then it jumps back to “The wheels on the bus”…

”The wheels on the bus go round”….

”The wheels on”…

“The wheels on the bus”…

Theo and I didn’t know why the song kept skipping back to the beginning. Here, Archer had fallen asleep with his hand on the phone, and every time we drove over the slightest bump, Archer’s resting hand would start the song over. We could not stop laughing, and it is still a memory that brings us joy.

But honestly, this week, the empty, faceless mirror crushed me.

4 responses to “Rearview Mirror”

  1. These are truly touching, and my heart breaks for yours!

  2. Daryl Ratliff Avatar
    Daryl Ratliff

    Brittney, when I lost my mom last year I was devastated. One thing that has comforted me is taking a walk at night and looking up into the starry sky , and talking to mom in heaven, does she hear me? I don’t know but I do know she is safe with God. I do know that God is that close though He is high in the heavens, the emptiness seems to not seem so bad, I think we need to have those conversations with those we loved so much. It keeps them near to our hearts until we see them face to face again.

  3. Brittney,
    I just read your 3 posts and I am a mix of every emotion! Sad, impressed, mad, confused and most of all, in awe of you.
    You had only come one time to our “Empowering Mothers” small group before Archer got sick. We shared our birth stories and our favorite things about being moms and you were a joy to have in our group. You had us all organized with links to order the books we chose and a corrected text stream set up by the time the night was over. I was so impressed with you and very excited to be in this group with you!
    All of that has broken my heart in pieces for you as the story unfolded before our very eyes. I believe God does use everything for the good of those who love him, as His word tells us, because I am watching as He is using the unimaginable to strengthen and empower you to use your voice to speak to others.
    In the book, “Same Kind of Different as Me,” the writer talks of his beloved friend as she is diagnosed with cancer and he says that she must be very important to God because the devil has taken notice. I believe the same thing about you Brittney. God knows something about you that is beyond what many are capable of. I believe He will do mighty things through you now and in your future.
    You will forever be Archer’s mother ❤️

  4. Thank you for sharing your moments with us. There is strength and wisdom that you are imparting to others that is priceless. I pray that your journey through your memories of sweet Archer are comforting and healing.

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