One of the things I miss most about our old house is the sweeping vista from the back porch. It faces west, and during the winter especially, we saw brilliant pink-orange sunsets that we named “Julianna sky.”
The view from our current house is decidedly more mundane and consists mostly of our neighbors’ yards and houses. I see glimpses of pink sky still, but they are rare and usually occur as I’m in a rush to get to work. They still make me happy, though, and I have learned to enjoy them as little reminders of what we had.
Reminders and memories are abundant during the holidays. It’s what makes me love the season, and what makes it so hard. For me, there’s a tension at Christmastime. There’s the superficial sparkly stuff (which I love) vs the true meaning (that gets lost), the joy and pain of memories, reunion and separation, darkest night and brightest light. Grief and joy.
I have been missing her more lately. I feel the need to do something more intentional to remember her during the holidays. Her ornaments are on the tree and her stocking is up next to ours. There needs to be something more, though. Maybe we’ll start another tradition next year. A candle? A special tree? A Christmas unicorn?
Then this morning, there was this:
The pink sky lasts but a moment, but this one stayed for a few.
I ran to it, out of our neighborhood and into the next, the way I will when I see her again.
Julianna Yuri 
Dearest Julianna, God Bless you Mama, and your family. We remember her, and can’t forget her. Love truly is a Superpower ❤️🎄
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A brilliant and timeless reminder that Julianna’s spirit cannot be contained, but must always roam freely and illuminate everything, just as she did. 💖💜
Hugs, Janet
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My “new” tradition (which is in its 12th year) is to take the money I would have spent on presents for him and do something meaningful with it in my son’s honor. Then I write him a note about what we did and put it in his stocking.
I’m sure you’ll think of something to honor your sweet Julianna!
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God bless all of you, as your own precious Juliana-angel, now watches over you.
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I think of your family often. Hope you have a happy and healthy 2024
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Dear Dr Moon,
It must be God’s providential hand that the youtube video dated Nov 4 2015 on CNN featuring Julianna appeared on my feed today. I thank God for you and your husband’s courage to be on the news, and it has greatly ministered to my heart today, after losing our little girl Claire to SMA type 1 just 2 years ago. She was only 9 months old when she passed, and her short life was troubled with 3 ICU admissions for pneumonias. It truly broke our hearts to see her crying through the NG suctionings, right up to when she passed and gave us signs that it was time for us to let her go. Since she passed, some days I wonder whether we could have done anything more for Claire, as we had decided very early on that we would not subject Claire to intubation or tracheostomy, especially knowing and believing that there was life beyond this earth and the comfort of being in heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ. I do wonder whether I could have done a little more for Claire to be on this earth longer.
So seeing the video of Julianna and her firm conscious decision to go to heaven to be with God forever has brought so so much comfort to my heart today, knowing that what we had decided for Claire was what a 4 year old decided with the love of her family. I have no words to express the tremendous comfort upon my soul today, a day before Mother’s day here in Australia.
Thank God for Julianna. Thank God for your family. I am so sorry for the loss of your dear Julianna here on this earth. But we know that it is all temporary and we will meet her again.
I am sure Julianna and Claire are rejoicing in Heaven right now as we speak.
Thank you Dr Moon, for your testimony, for walking the path ahead of us and for shining the light for the ones behind like us, and for comforting a fellow medical christian mommy. I cried so much when I watched the video.
In Christ,
Wendy Liang
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Dear Wendy – I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your precious Claire, and sorry that you had to spend so much time in the hospital. I know that you gave her the best possible care and made the most loving decisions you could. I needed Julianna’s words to guide us, but looking back, her body was telling us things well before she could articulate them. It sounds like it was the same for Claire. It takes bravery to recognize it, and love to get through it. It’s so hard. Big hug, Michelle
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