Nate & Katherine

A Letter to My Children

Dear Nate & Katherine,

I truly love and miss, both of you, more than you will ever know! I am so incredibly sorry that you both have had to endure the loss of your baby sister, the death of your uncle, and the breakup of your family in such a short period of time. You both were the absolute best big brother and sister ever and I know how much you both must still hurt and miss her! I genuinely hope and pray that you find some comfort and that you both always know in your heart that little Emily is still watching over all of us!

We all grieve differently, and I now realize that I had spiraled out of control after Emily passed and became a completely different person that nobody knew or even recognized. As your father, I was also devastated by the loss of our once “close knit” family that deteriorated before my eyes and was destroyed by everything that had happened to us.

Since that time, I have missed and have longed to be a part of your lives again. I continue to pray multiple times a day, every single day, for the three of us to be reunited. I just want you to know that I am not that same person that I had become in the wake of Emily’s death and I have returned to being the man and father that I’m hoping you remember as small children. As your father, I have so many regrets with how I dealt with things after Emily died, but I simply can’t turn back the clock and change what has already been done.

I get through every day clinging to the beautiful and amazing memories of both of you as children (coaching soccer teams, tee ball, family vacations, etc.) When each of you were born, you were the most incredible gifts that God could have ever given me, and for that, I will always be so eternally grateful!

Over the years we have been apart, I have been desperately trying to get in touch with both of you by writing you letters, calling, and sending gifts, but I have a feeling that you are both unaware of my efforts. I feel like I have run out options in terms of how to get in touch with you and that is why I am taking the unconventional approach of posting this heartfelt letter so publicly on The Emily Jerry Foundation’s website.

I am pleading with you both to please e-mail me at [email protected] and I will email you back with my cell phone number.

Again, I love you Nate and Katherine, so very much! All I want from the remainder of my life is to be reunited with both of you and to earn the love and respect that I once had has your father!

All My Love,
Dad