Papaw Les…He was the sweetest, most gentle man. He let me pick green tomatoes out of the garden and never once did I get in trouble for it, even though poor Brad and Travis did!!! He would put me in his lap and brush my hair and listen to me as I talked non-stop! To say he spoiled me is an understatement!!!! Every single day, he would take the three of us to Kenny Ailor’s store and buy us a push up. To this day, when I see those, memories of him come flooding back. Today is his birthday. We lost him 37 years ago, I was 6 years old when he died. It changed the entire trajectory of our family’s lives. He is so missed. He was amazing and I am so thankful for all the memories I have of him.

Mamaw Betty…she was a force to be reckoned with!!!!! Full of love, light, & laughter, but also full of piss & vinegar!!!! OH that woman!!!! When she loved, she loved hard, but when she was mad, you better get out of her way! She loved my papaw more than I could ever explain, but if you knew her, and especially if you knew them together, then you know how crazy she was about him and vice versa. She went to be with him in heaven on his birthday 4 years ago, because that’s who she was!!!! She held on for DAYS, when medically it seemed impossible. But we all knew she was just waiting to go on Papaw’s birthday. After she saw The King, I’m sure she could be heard saying “Ley-us, (because she pronounced his name as if it were a 2 syllable word, LOL) Ley-us honey, come here!!”

Anniversary dates of the death of those we have loved can sometimes be so hard, but today, as much as I miss them, I can’t help but think how happy the two of them are in Heaven. I imagine they are singing and celebrating for so many reasons. There’s a lot of our family who has crossed on over to glory while the rest of us are still here waiting to go. I believe when we have fulfilled The Father’s purpose for our own lives, we will get to go be with them. As we have learned, for some of us that may sooner rather than later.

The last 4 days of Mamaw’s life, I barely left her side. In fact I crawled up in bed beside her more than once, crying like a baby. Losing her was so hard. She hadn’t been saying anything for days that made any sense, and she didn’t know who I was the last couple of weeks. But right before she slipped into a non-verbal state, it was just her and I in her room, and she looked at me out of the blue, and said “Little Lori, you will love again.” Those were the last words she ever said to me. I thought that was so odd at the time. But as a nurse who spent most of my bedside career in end of life care, I knew that there are those professionals who will say that the time that people spend in between the earthly realm and the heavenly one in their last days, is sometimes filled with them being excited about where they are going, because they get glimpses of the other side, but also battling to hang on here because they know what they are leaving behind.

I spent a lot of time through the years talking to my Mamaw about every thing going on in my life, good and bad. And anyone in our family will tell you, she was not above giving out advice whether it was wanted or not! But on that day, I truly believe that my sweet Mamaw knew what I didn’t know. I believe that she knew that 4 weeks later, Dirk would join her in heaven, and I believe those words to me were the last bit of wisdom that she was able to pass on.

Since the beginning of creation, it has been assured that if there is a day of birth, there will also come a day of death. This year the girls and I decided we were gonna spend these goodbye anniversaries as celebrations rather than as days of sadness. We know that because of the cross and the resurrection, we WILL see those we love again!!!!!

“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21

Happy birthday papaw!! Happy Home-going Day Mamaw!!I love you, I miss you, & I can’t wait to hug you both again!! Oh, and Mamaw, I sure do hope you are dancing up there, the girls and I are taking care of that for you down here!

Time stands still for no one. I am so thankful that the Lord gives, even though He also has to take away.

Love, Lori