It was such a tender experience. There were so many cute stories shared about this spunky little girl. The two parts that rocked me the most were when her dad stood up and shared a few thoughts about her. He was so composed and expressed so much gratitude for the outpouring of love for their family. He then spent some time talking about the sweet connection he had with her and how every night before he tucked her in bed he would always whisper, “You are my little angel.” It was such a tender moment.

The other part that was very moving was right before the funeral. I was standing as a guard over the door to where the viewing was to make sure that only family entered. Right before it ended, all of a sudden, six sheriffs walked in, dressed in all their gear with their boots polished and everything. They looked so impressive and they were all tough looking guys. They said, “We were the first responders to this little girl and we’ve come to pay our respects.” I opened the door and let them in and it was such an emotional scene. They were all crying and went up and gave the mom and dad massive hugs. They then stayed for the entire funeral.

Today was a tough day but it was also beautiful. Hug your kids extra tight tonight and spend more time with them.