07/01/2026
Dear Jacob,
We never had the chance to meet you, but somehow you’ve found your way into our hearts all the same.
We came to know you through your big brother, and from that moment forward, you’ve felt present in a way that’s hard to fully explain. Your life here was only nine months long, yet the love tied to your name has carried across decades and into the lives of people who never got the chance to know you.
Your big brother speaks about you with a kind of love that doesn’t fade. There’s pride in his voice when he says your name, and even in the moments where grief shows through, it’s clear how deeply you are still held. He carries you with him, Jacob, every single day. And because he does, we carry you too.
We wish there had been more time. More moments for your family to hold you, to watch you grow, to see the smile we can only imagine. It’s hard not to think about what the world missed in those years. And still, even in that absence, your life has left something behind that remains very real.
You’ve reminded us how quickly life can change, how powerful the bond between siblings can be, and how love continues even when everything else is taken away. Through your story, we’ve also seen what it means to keep going, to keep speaking a name out loud when silence would be easier.
Eric has carried you with him through all these years with unwavering devotion. He has protected your memory, honored your life, and turned his love for you into a voice that refuses to let you be forgotten. That kind of love doesn’t weaken with time. It grows stronger.
Baby Jacob, your life mattered. It still matters. Even though you are not here in the way everyone wishes you could be, your presence is woven into your family and into all of us who have come to know your name.
We see you. We remember you. We will keep speaking your name.
Happy Heavenly Birthday, sweet boy. You were deeply loved then, and you are deeply loved still.
With love,
Whitney & Melissa
