It is hard to think that Mammaw B. has been gone for almost a month now...it would be easy to sit here thinking about how much more time I should have spent with her, soaking in all of the knowledge and humor that this special woman had to share.
Instead I want to think about how BLESSED I am that I got to spend the first 19 years of my life living only 2 short blocks away from Mammaw. I am going to take some time to share a few memories that I have of Mammaw B...there is not enough time in a day to share everything but here are a few things...
- I remember on Easter Sunday mornings on the way to church we would often go down to Mammaw's house to take pictures on her front porch of all of us in our Easter outfits.
- EVERY Halloween evening of my childhood we would go to Mammaw's to "trick or treat" & sing Happy Birthday to Mammaw.
- At the first sign of SNOW we would start planning our walk down to Mammaw'...we would get all bundled up in our winter gear and set off for our long 2 block adventure. We would get to Mammaw's and take our snow boots off at the door and then we would hang out gloves (& sometimes socks) in front of her heat stove to dry. I would stand as close to the fire as I could possibly get and then usually there was Hot Chocolate involved before getting bundled up to head back home.
- The only time I remember getting in trouble with Mammaw B was ALL MEAGHAN's FAULT!!! Meaghan and I were out swinging on the front porch...I cannot tell you how many times Mammaw B told us "Girls, don't swing so high. One of you might get hurt!" Did we listen? Only after one side of the porch swing slipped off the hook. I am just glad neither of us was "mid-pump" or else we might have been pinned under the swing!!
- As I got older I would meet up with Uncle David's bunch for Christmas Caroling...I never knew you could fit so many people into such a TINY HOUSE. But oh the love and laughter (& HEAT) that filled that place!!
- There was one time that Russ & Katie came to visit and there were about 10 of us that went down to Mammaw B's house to eat lunch together. During our time there someone asked Mammaw about her black iron (that alway sat in her kitchen floor). That got her & some of her kids telling stories of the years gone by. By the end of the afternoon several of us "kids" were sitting on the floor in the kitchen to listen to their stories.
- One of the things that stands out most to me was the first time she got to meet her GREAT GREAT GRANDSON, ELIOT. I wish you could have seen her sweet little face the first time we brought him to her house!! It was priceless!! And you will never guess what she had to greet him with...HIS VERY FIRST PEANUTBUTTER COOKIE!!!
- Mammaw B got to the point that she could not go to church because her sight got so bad. There were several times over the last 3 years or so of her life that my mom, dad, Mammaw Berta, Aunt Jackie, Mammaw B & I would take communion together down at Mammaw B's house. Dad would read the scripture of the Last Supper, we would take communion, pray and then we would sing 2 or 3 songs together. The first time we took communion together like this is the first time I remember Mammaw B talking about PRAYING FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US BY NAME...then Aunt Jackie told us not only does she do that but she also quotes the 23rd Psalm, Apostle's Creed & The Lord's Prayer. Then she would sing "Thank You Lord". These times ALWAYS brought me to TEARS.
- 2 Christmases ago we were all at my Mammaw's house for Christmas lunch and gift exchange. Because of BAD weather in Oklahoma we had to "entertain" the troops while we waited for various ones to get there... Mammaw B asked us if we could since around the piano together. We sang for a little bit and then Mammaw B began to share about what Christmas was like for them when she was a child.
- THE BIG 100TH BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!
- The last 7 months of Mammaw's life we were in and out of the hospital more than I care to think of...I got to be among the lucky few who got to go and sit with Mammaw B some. I remember one Saturday morning I got up and headed to the hospital about 9am to relieve Jamey. Jamey and I had the sweetest time just the two of us with Mammaw B. We had time to answer her questions about canvascommunity. And then she went into telling some stories from her teenage & young married years. Jamey and I spent those couple of hours soaking in as much as we could...and lots of laughter...there is nothing like sharing some giggles with a 100 year old lady!! Sweetest thing ever!!!
- Just a couple short weeks before Mammaw B started really going down hill we had the chance to have a family get together...anything for a party with this family...
Jessica & her husband, Kendall moved back to OKC from Hawaii a few weeks earlier and decided it was time for a trip to Arkansas. After we finished our meal Mammaw B once again asked if we could sing together. (Can you tell where all of us get our love of music from?) Mammaw Berta sat down at the piano and began to play several of Mammaw B's favorite hymns. Someone said that we should sing "In The Garden". We went through the first verse all together and Mammaw was ending the song when Mammaw B in her loudest voice possible began to sing "He speaks & the sound of His voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing...". She sang the whole second verse of the song as a solo...I don't think any of us would have been able to find the voice to sing with her if we wanted to. My mom was standing on the other side of the living room and said she looked at Jessica (who was crying), then looked at me (also boohooing) and on down the line. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house!! Mammaw B also sang a song for us that the soldier boys used to sing during the war.
- I have SEVERAL memories just from the last two weeks of Mammaw B's life. I am not to the point that I can share them but I promise I will share them soon.
**I cannot begin to share what this sweet woman meant to so many people. Mammaw B is greatly loved and missed!!
And to quote my favorite Facebook status after Mammaw B passed away...
"When sorrows like sea billows roll...Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul." - Thanks Laura for posting that...this one post has walked with me through this whole month!!!
1 comment:
Thank you so much for sharing. I would love to read even more. I, too, miss her, so I can only imagine how you must feel having had the opportunity to spend more time with her lately. The "In the Garden" story is one of the sweetest I've ever heard, and also brought a tear to me just reading it.
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