One of these days life will settle down (ha!) and I'll write more. For now I wanted to share a little about a very dear lady.
She was the matriarch of our church. She has been there my whole life. In fact she has been there most of all of our lives. She taught my grandfather in elementary school! She loved me and my children, and we loved her. As an adoptive mother herself she "got it". After we brought Carington home she gave me a card and this is what she wrote.
"Not of my flesh, nor of my bone.
Yet by a miracle, still my own.
Never forget, not for minute.
You didn't grow under my heart but in it."
She often gave my children gifts and recently gave me money to buy Carington a winter coat. Each of us received a card from her on our birthdays and annaversaries. Every week at church she ensured that every child visited her in her pew by giving them each a hersey kiss. One week ago in church she passed out kisses, sang praises, and had a hug and smile for me and my kids.
Little did we know that this week in church she'd be gone. She was 91 and in relatively good health, but on Tuesday she was killed in a car accident and her daughter-in-law was seriously injured and has a long recovery ahead of her. Tomorrow we will lay her to rest. But her seat in church wasn't empty this week. I watched her grandson who is maybe 11 years old, has lost his grandma, and his mother is in the hospital. He was sitting in her seat, singing at the top of his lungs, hand over his heart, tears in his eyes. What a testament to what she taught him about how to handle life, and most importantly, who to turn to when your world falls apart.
I loved Aunt Gert.... I didn't realize how much until she was gone. Why is it that we don't adaquately tell people this while we have the chance?
I am so thankful that one day I will get the chance. I am so thankful that this life isn't it. That we will see her again. But we will not see her kyphotic spine or her walker. We will see her radiant smile. And she will probably still be force feeding my kids chocolate.
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