DEAR ABBY: You once published a piece in your column about a little girl who had died. She was ascending to heaven with her lighted candle, but her mother's tears kept putting the candle out.
Would you please print it again? We recently lost a child, and I keep thinking about that column but am unable to locate it anywhere.
Abby, thank you for all the helpful columns you have written over the years. -- LINDA DOUGHERTY, CHINO HILLS, CALIF.
DEAR LINDA: My heart goes out to you; please accept my condolences.
You must be a longtime reader. The last time I printed that item was December 1984. Here it is:
Losing a child is the most tragic experience a parent must bear. But one must believe that it is more than a coincidence that God and Good are similar words. Here is a little story one of my readers sent me:
There once was a procession of children marching in heaven. Each held a lighted candle, and as they marched, they sang. Their faces shone with happiness. But one little girl stood alone.
"Why don't you join us, little girl?" one happy child asked.
"I can't," she replied. "Every time I light my candle, my mother puts it out with her tears."