13 years ago our family was adopted by one of the long-time neighborhood Grandmas. Grandma Joyce has loved everyone of our babies - and celebrated their arrival with the same delight as anyone in our circle of life.
She is lively and loving and next week is very likely her very last Valentines day. Within the reality of aging bodies and medical facts she is going to leave us very soon. At this point her passing is pain filled and unpleasant. A woman who has spent her whole adult life loving and serving others is now relegated to rocking and praying her way through endless days and nights as her body slowly fails.
My heart aches for her. Not that she is dying....I know that she is secure in her faith and confidence in the Risen Lord. But I weep over the details of her passing. The slow disintegration and necessary letting go of this fleeting life.
I love Grandma Joyce and will be taking pairs of kids over in the next week with Valentines and kisses to say goodbye to her. To pray with her. And to love on her as best we can.
Grandma Joyce is special. She is a Sister who loves the Lord - one of those treasures who usually has a word of encouragement, wisdom or hope to offer anyone who comes near enough for her to touch.
This year - this last year - I would love to shower her with Valentines. I would be thrilled to fill her mailbox with words of encouragement for a life well lived, a race well run and a journey soon to be completed.
Very few of you know her in real life - but she is a person who would be amazingly blessed to receive cards from people all over. Even as her own life has narrowed to the dimensions of a single bed she continues to pray outward into the world we will still walk when she has passed.
If your heart is tugged to send a valentine to Grandma Joyce I am happy to deliver them...to be the carrier of the joy that such simple things can bring. For one last time.
You can scan and email, photograph or mail them to our house....send me an email if you want to join us in celebrating this life and the God she serves.
2 comments:
We would love to send a card or two. I will email you to find out where to mail them.
Blessings, Dawn
Dorothy, I've been talking to my mom about want's been going on, does it really look like there's only a few weeks left? I'd really like to be there before she passes to say goodbye. I've known her for 20 years, and she's my second Grandma, I would highly regret it, If I never said goodbye.
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