A Great Loss

The world has lost an angel today.

My childhood friend Angela at The Painted House shared with me one of her most treasured items in the world.....Her Papaw! And let me just say, this man was truly and angel put on this planet to make peoples lives better just by being in the same room with him for 1 milli-second.

I have very vivid memories from long ago of 2 lanky girls spending time with Nanaw and Papaw on their farm in Texas. Papaw taking us water skiing on a local lake in the "super skeeter", playing Skip-Bo until the wee hours of the morning while munching fresh baked cornbread, spinning through the cornfields on the dirtbikes, helping him hand churn the home-made chocolate AND vanilla ice-cream he made just for us., listening to him whistle the gospel tunes while watching the sun set on his front porch. Truly..........this man was a gift to this earth.

He lost his battle with cancer today - and it breaks my heart to think about what a loss this world has experienced. I pray for Nanaw to have the strength to get through the future days/years. As much as I know we've lost an angel, she's lost her life partner, best friend, and true love.

Angela warned me he was in his last days. I've been working feverishly to locate old photos and put together for him a letter that captured everything I wanted him to know and how much he meant to me in my life. But I was too late..........just too late.

Papaw - If the good Lord is allowing you to keep up with the blogs here on earth, know that I love you........miss you..........and am eternally grateful to have pieces of my heart that belong just to you!

Please, if you are reading this post - say a prayer for Angela, Nanaw and the rest of this precious family. They are my family as well and their loss if felt across the country.

Angela's sister Randee wrote about a very touching moment with Papaw that I just had to share. It's stirred emotions and brought tears to my eyes many time today. Thank you Randee for sharing not only this man, but this moment. Just beautiful!



A Grandfather's Gift:

I had the honor of taking care of my grandfather last night. He is 82-years-old and in the final stages of cancer.

His children and adult grandchildren are taking turns sleeping on the couch so he is never alone. He has slowly become unresponsive and sleeping most of the day. He hasn't eaten in 3 days. He hasn't moved from his recliner since last Tuesday. It is evident that his kidneys are shutting down.

Before I turned in for the evening I took out an old song book from the piano bench. I recognized this book because I have sung countless songs from it's pages, many of them with my grandfather. I started at page one and started singing A Capella the songs I recognized: Sweet Hour of Prayer, I Must Tell Jesus, Victory in Jesus.

After one of the songs he turned his head towards me and said "sweet voice". My grandmother looked at me in amazement, did he really say something?

I then started singing "In the Sweet By and By". When I came to the chorus I sang the first part then as I sang the descant (echo) I pointed the book at him - this was always his part. I sang the second verse then again on the chorus I sang the melody but when it came to the descant HE SANG!!!! It was clear. In Tune. Perfect timing. Beautiful.

What a gift from a man who gave me the love of music so long ago. How hard that must have been to get the strength to get those 3 notes out, but he did it for me. It is a moment I will treasure for the rest of my life.

I know God is with him. He has so much peace. We've had the time to say good-bye and now it is in God's hands. I love this man with every fiber of my 5 foot 1 being! He will always be my sweetie face.

And I cannot wait to meet him on that beautiful shore - In The Sweet By and By.