Philip David Krueger (16 Oct 1990 – 24 Jul 1992)

24 July 2017. This is a big milestone, but not an anniversary for celebration. It has been twenty-five years since we lost our Philip to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It is still unbelievably sad and heartbreaking. Time passes, but a parent never fully recovers from the loss of a child.

In remembrance of Philip, I’m sharing the following excerpt from the eulogy that his daddy delivered at his funeral.

…Another joy involved a week long camping trip that we took this past 4th of July.  We were staying at a nearby, private campground which also had a small petting zoo.  One of the pens contained a number of rabbits and a full grown lamb.  Philip couldn’t wait to get into the pen and when he did, held out his arms and repeated one of the few words he knew, “Hold, hold.”  I picked up the nearest rabbit and placed it in his arms.  He would hold the rabbit for a while before plopping it onto the ground and then asking for another.  This went on for a while until he noticed the fully grown lamb at the back of the pen.  He walked over to it, held out his arms, and repeated, “Hold, hold.“

Philip loved shoes.  Especially those that were not his.  Any pair he found around the house, he would try to put on.  Before he could walk well, he would place a shoe on the floor in front of himself, sit down, and then push his foot forward trying so hard to guide his foot in.

As he got older and improved his balance, he would skillfully slip a pair of our adult shoes over his own.  But he especially liked his big brother’s shoes.  He would come to us, hold up one foot and beg to have his own shoes removed so that he could wear his older brother’s.  He would walk around in his brother’s shoes (usually on the wrong feet) for hours.

We will definitely remember Philip for his outgoing and friendly personality.  Another one of the words he had learned was “Hi“, and he said “Hi” to everyone.  From neighbors walking down our sidewalk to strangers in the grocery aisle.  Philip also knew how to give great big bear hugs.  He would grab you around the neck and squeeze with all his little might.  He would share this talent with anyone who would offer.  From the other mothers who picked up their children at day care, to a grandmotherly type women at McDonald’s that we did not even know.

Another thing Philip loved to do was help his Dad sweep the floors.  I didn’t dare put my broom down, because as soon as I did, he would pick it up and start sweeping.  I would have to take it back and tell him that it was MY broom and that I needed to finish my work.  On one such occasion, Philip left the kitchen and returned with his stick horse.  He would hold the stick end with the horse head on the floor and proceed to push it back and forth like a string mop.  That stick horse got used more as a broom than it ever did as a toy.

But most of all, Philip loved more than anything to “Go.”  Whenever we would plan to go somewhere, he would repeat over and over again, “Go, go.”  He was usually impatient with us as we all got ready to leave.  I recall a time when I was changing his diaper in preparation for doing some shopping, when he was being very uncooperative.  I realized that we had not given him any indications that we were going someplace, so I said to him that if he would let me change his diaper that we would “go.”  His fussing and complaining was immediately replaced by a smile and a resounding “Go?“

I guess that Philip is going on his final trip now.  And it pains us greatly that we cannot go with him.  Bye, bye Philip.

WE LOVE YOU!

Hug your kids today!