The Birthday That Never Was

My daughter, Valerie. The beach and the rock (upper left) are the ones referred to in the text, near Cannon Beach, Oregon. (All photos and montage design by Lindy Thibodaux.)

Dear Valerie,

Today is your birthday. Yesterday, I brought home your remains.

On the morning of Monday, January 31, 2022, not long after you were declared dead, I had to send a couple of text messages, and to have to write the words, “Valerie died this morning” was almost physically impossible — and it feels the same today. (On the way home after hearing your cancer diagnosis on December…