Today marked a milestone in our family’s history as we launched “Heaven’s Butterfly” which was published by Anvil and written by my daughter P and yours truly. The book talks about the story of our life in the first year after Migi died. It specifically describes P’s journey from a place of sadness to a place of hope.

P was only seven when he died in 1998. Loss is a reality for children even at a very tender age. A child experiences grief in a cyclical manner. Meaning, the re-experience or re-visit the loss every time they pass through a developmental stage.

It was a book, as one wise professor put it, put together out of love and brought to life by the wonderful and vivid illustrations of the very talented Panch Alcaraz. “Heaven’s Butterfly” is the first in a series of titles that Anvil has called special topics — stories that tackle issues that are not normally discussed with children but real for them nevertheless.

In my short message this afternoon at the Ateneo where the book launch was held, I said — “Heaven’s Butterfly” was a difficult story to write in the sense that we had to dig up and unearth many emotions from years ago. It is never easy to dredge up the past, more so if the memories are painful. However, it was also liberating because in doing so, we were remembering Migi and all the wonderful memories we had of him during those four, beautiful years that he was lent to us. By sharing part of our journey, we hope to be able to reach out to many more children who have lost loved ones - be it a parent, a friend, a grandparent, or a sibling — all pain is the same. Whenever we lose someone we love, we are forever changed by the experience.

We hope that parents and teachers who read this book will come to realize that grief and loss, when it takes place, cannot just be swept under the rug. Losing someone is a real occurrence in a child’s world and we must allow that child to grieve. As adults and caregivers, we must do everything in our power to help them navigate that journey from sadness to hope.

The book’s release is particularly significant as it takes place on the 10th anniversary of Migi’s Corner and comes so close to his 15th birthday on Sunday. I now have a young man in heaven. This timing of events is an affirmation from above that Migi continues to live on and that we are fulfilling the mission that has been given to us in the wake of his passing. We hope that you will enjoy the book and pass on its message to those who need it the most.

“Heaven’s Butterfly” will be available at Powerbooks and National Bookstore starting February 23, 2009.