Bad news moms – no matter how much I explained going to heaven, it did not stop the tears. As a matter of fact, the littlest one came home from school telling me his cousin had said, “Papaw’s going to die in 4 days.” I asked him what he said, and he responded, “Nothing. I didn’t know Papaw was going to die.”
Another one of those speechless mom moments! I guess I’d never used the word die or he skipped out into Little Boy Imagination Land during the middle of our discussions.
Last night Papaw’s spirit soared off to heaven.
Someone told me a story about how before someone they loved died, they said, “Send me pennies so I know you’re in heaven.” The person replied, “I’ll send you quarters.” And she found quarters everywhere for the next year.
My sister in law told me that last year,when her sister in law died, it started snowing as they left the graveside service. She said that was this precious woman letting them know she was in heaven by showering them with the snow she loved.
Last night when we left hospice, it started snowing. She said it was her her sister in law letter her know Papaw was in heaven.
My oldest son had a dream two nights ago that he was talking with Papaw. He asked him if he needed anything. Papaw told him he was ready to go on home to heaven.
God is merciful!
There are hugs galore. If you hear a bunch of noise today and tomorrow, it’s the sound of stories being told, enough stories to last a life time – stories to outlast the grief. There’s a special fraternity of grandsons in this family – 12 of them, not a single granddaughter, who have inherited his nobleness, quick wit and love of family. Of course, it didn’t just fall on them. He taught them from the first moment he held them in the hospital when they were born, at his knee and standing beside him man-to-man. All I can think is what a privelege it is to have become a part of this family, how blessed my sons were to have him as a grandfather!
I want to include one of Papaw’s favorite poems today. It’s the kind of man he tried to be and the man he wanted his sons and grandsons to be – and to thank you for your prayers and encouragement!
If
by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run –
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man my son!
It sounds like you all were very lucky to have such a great man in your lives. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
May his precious memories with all of you give you all comfort at this difficult time. God bless.
You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. It is so very hard to lose a beloved family member. It sounds like there will be lots of amazing memories of love and laughter to buoy spirits. Take heart in those things.
Praying for peace and comfort for you all. Sounds like you have some wonderful, precious memories. Blessings.
Oh man, I have tears of joy and of sorrow right along with you. My grandmother died in Nov. at 103 and though we celebrated, we miss her terribly. My dad died 20 years ago and I still miss him. The marvelous comfort is theor legacy of love lives in all of us. You wrote so beautifully about Papaw… I love him and I never met him!
What an amazing poem…
I’m so sorry for the families loss. But thankful that there are such wonderful memories of this man that will carry on for years to come… how he will live on through you all…
Hugs to you
I am keeping you and your boys, including your husband, on my heart and in prayer this week Maryleigh. My heart hurts for you and them. Heaven is a great gift but natural death still causes separation from the ones that we love so much for awhile and sometimes that is still so very tough on our hearts.
Hugs to you,
Christy
Oh, I’m saying a prayer for you too. The culture I was raised in believes that your loved one’s either send you a message or come back to tell you they are alright….
My daughter lost her Papa in the spring of last year….she still talks about him all the time. We spend a lot of time talking about heaven and she now says she learns about Jesus, God and Papa at church….She just lost her favorite pony and has now added that to the mix. It can be soooo very hard to watch them try to figure it all out. My cowboy doesn’t cry often, but having to tell her that her pony went to heaven to be with Papa….well, he came back to the house and cried for at least thirty minutes.
When you look at each of those precious boys, you’ll see him in them. Isn’t love such an amazing thing?
I’m so sorry your FIL died, but I’m happy to know he went to Heaven.
It is wonderful how he treated you and the boys. What a great man of God.
Keep those fond memeories close by. I’m sure you’ve written a lot down since ur such a good writer. Enjoy your memeories.
Take care,
Nannette
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