'Daddy will always love you': Soldier's heartbreaking goodbye letter to his baby daughter from beyond the grave after he dies in Afghanistan
Two days after she laid her beloved soldier husband to rest Emma Weaver opened the laptop he'd had in Afghanistan and was overcome with emotion.
There were two Word documents on the desktop, one called 'Dear Emma,' the other marked 'Dear Kiley' for the couple's baby daughter.
Mrs Weaver realised her darling husband Todd, who was killed by an IED on his second tour of Afghanistan in September 2010, had written both his leading ladies goodbye letters in the event of his death.
Mrs Weaver, from Hampton, Virginia, took a deep breath and opened the files.
'Well if you are reading this, I guess I did not make it home and therefore, I was not able to remind you again of how much I love you,' U.S. Army, 1st Lieutenant, Weaver wrote.
'Although it may seem like my life was cut short, I lived a life that most can only dream of. I married the perfect woman. I have a beautiful daughter that amazed me every day.'
He then told her to be strong for their daughter, who had been just nine months old when he left for the war zone in June 2010.
'Remind her about her Daddy and tell her that I loved her more than anything else in the world,' he wrote.
'Her birth was the best day of my life and she was the best thing that ever happened to me. Tell her that Daddy is in heaven now and will watch over her and protect her every minute of every day.'
In the letter to his daughter, Lt Weaver, called her his 'sweetie' and a true 'gift from God'.
'I am so sorry I will not be able to see you grow up,' he wrote. 'But remember, your Daddy is not gone. I am in heaven now smiling down on you every day.'
He then reminded her to say her prayers at night and be thankful for all her many blessings.
Do your best at school, he wrote, and try to learn as much as you can about the world you live in.
'You have such a bright and beautiful future ahead of you. Have fun. Enjoy it. And remember, your Daddy will always be proud of you and will always love you.'
On her blog, A Day in the Life, which she started before her husband's death Mrs Weaver writes that while the words were 'so hard' to read they also brought her peace.
'I couldn't imagine being at war and seeing what he did everyday and then having the courage to write goodbye letters to the one's you love. He was so strong,' she wrote.
Both letters now sit proudly on the wall of her home. She had the words of Kiley's superimposed onto a picture of Lt Weaver reading to his daughter when she was around a week old.
Her words were printed onto one of the couple's wedding pictures.
'Although they are private letters I have thought long and hard about how significant they are and the importance of sharing the depth of wisdom Todd had for being 26 years old at the time of his death, Mrs Weaver wrote in a post.
He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, on October 15, 2010, where he was awarded both the Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals as well as numerous other recognitions.
Mrs Weaver, with little Kiley sitting on her lap, also received the flag that had draped over his casket. It was folded meticulously to the strains of America the Beautiful.
The military cemetery was the last place Lt Weaver had walked before he was deployed to Afghanistan.
Mrs Weaver recalls how he had stepped away with Kiley, now 20 months, to spent some quiet moments with her.
'What he whispered to her I may never know. And as we left that day I thought to myself "it's only a year,"' she wrote.
It would have been the couple's third wedding anniversary on May 17. Mrs Weaver wrote that her husband had given her courage as a gift.
'Courage to tackle each day with the same spirit he would have,' she said. 'I can't be bitter for the way Kiley and I's lives have changed, it's not my call in the end.
'It is a hard life now. Can I handle it? I certainly can. Would I have chose it? No.'
She went onto to say that even though her daughter may not remember her father when she is older, he will always be a prominent figure in her life.
'She will know her Dada is always here, always protecting her, and is always in her heart,' she wrote.
DEAR EMMA
Dear Emma:
Well if you are reading this, I guess I did not make it home and therefore, I was not able to remind you again of how much I love you.
I love you so much baby and I will always love you. Although I may not be here right now, take comfort in the fact that I am watching over you right now.
I am not gone and I will always be with you in spirit. I know this time must be hard for you but I also know how strong you are.
Never forget that God knew what was best for us before we were even born. Take comfort in that. This happened for a reason. Although you may not believe it now, you will one day.
I want you to know just how important you are to me. I could not ask for a more caring, beautiful and loving wife. The memories that we have shared over the last few years have been the best of my life. Although it may seem like my life was cut short,
I lived a life that most can only dream of. I married the perfect woman. I have a beautiful daughter that amazed me every day.
I even had two great dogs - at least most of the time. I couldn't ask for anything more. If you feel sad, just think back to the memories that we shared. Look at our daughter and how beautiful she is.
Be strong for her. Remind her about her Daddy and tell her that I loved her more than anything else in the world. Her birth was the best day of my life and she was the best thing that ever happened to me. Her smile and laughter represent all that is good and beautiful in this world.
Tell her that Daddy is in heaven now and will watch over her and protect her every minute of every day. I love you Emma. But never be afraid to do what you need to do to be happy. It is so important that you continue to find happiness in your life. Although you may think this is impossible right now, have faith.
Much better times are coming. You and Kiley have a wonderful life ahead of you and I am so happy to have shared some of it with you.
I love you.
Your loving Husband,
Todd
DEAR KILEY
Dear Kiley, My Sweetie:
Although you may not remember me, I want you to know how very much your Daddy loves you.
I left for Afghanistan when you were 9 months old.
Leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever had to do.
You are so very special to me sweetie - you are truly a gift from God.
The best day of my life was the day you were born.
Every time I saw you smile my heart would just melt.
You were my sweetie - my life was not complete until you were born.
I am so sorry I will not be able to see you grow up.
But remember, your Daddy is not gone. I am in heaven now smiling down on you every day.
You are so very lucky to have such a wonderful Mom to take care of you.
Make sure you are good for her and help her out whenever you can.
Always remember to say your prayers at night and be thankful for all your many blessings.
Never forget how important and special you are to so many people.
We love you so very much. When you get older and start school, do your best and try to learn as much as you can about the world you live in.
Always be nice and caring to others and you will discover that the world will be nice to you.
But when things aren't going your way, never forget that God knows what is best for you and everything will work out in the end.
You have such a bright and beautiful future ahead of you.
Have fun. Enjoy it. And remember, your Daddy will always be proud of you and will always love you.
You are and will always be my sweetie.
With very much love,
Your Daddy
'I am so sorry I will not be able to see you grow up,' he wrote. 'But remember, your Daddy is not gone. I am in heaven now smiling down on you every day.'mata ane berkaca dan meneteskan air mata setiap membaca ini
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