Many have asked if "pink" is the theme, (if there is such a thing at a funeral) and although Sophie did love pink for the first couple years of her life, she spent the last year or so really embracing all the other colors, and when recently asked her favorite color, I remember her most as saying, "I like them all." She always had a fondness for rainbows and I remember my Mom teaching her the acronym Roy G Biv as a way to remember the order, when she was only two years old. So just as Sophie was accepting and loving of all the colors in her life, I invite you to appreciate all the colors in your life and think of Sophie each time you are blessed with the sight of a rainbow.

Amazingly enough, these rainbows graced the sky as Sophie’s parents, Marc and Emily, were on their way to the funeral home for Sophie’s first visitation. Emily called home to tell everyone about the rainbow they saw over the lake, while Ed McNamara, who lives 200 yards from the Quayles and also saw the rainbows, took this picture. The rainbows were seen in many places throughout Cleveland that day, but these seemed to hover over the Quayle's house and in plain view from the McNamara's driveway. While the rainbows, in a way, seem to connect the homes, the hearts of both families are also connected. The McNamara’s beautiful seven-year-old daughter, Maria, had also been called home to God just a few months earlier, on July 14, 2007.

Both of these precious and faith-filled girls suffered from the same type of brain stem tumor - a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. The families believe that the rainbows were a sign from God, Maria and Sophie telling them that the girls are united and safe in heaven, laughing, dancing, singing, and drawing their own rainbows. Marc and Emily and Ed, and his wife, Megan will be forever united in their sorrow and sadness, caring and compassion, and purpose and passion. Read their stories at Sophie’s blog and www.prayersformaria.com.