Many of you may have seen this post that I wrote on Christmas Eve:
That cross-stitch picture is now one of the treasures of my life! If I had room in my house, it would be up all year, and the world would just have to get over me having Christmas things out in July when it’s 110 degrees. But for now, it is stored until next Christmas when I can enjoy it for the full season.
The rest of the story on that picture is this: the day Stewart gave me that gift, it had been exactly 10 years since my mom had celebrated her last Christmas.
My mom had gone into the hospital in Homer, Louisiana, mere days before Zach’s first birthday on December 4, 2009. I had stayed with her a few days until I just had to come home to prepare for Zach’s party. She remained there until right before Christmas, when Stewart and I had brought her to our house to celebrate the holiday and to find a care facility in which to place her. Her health had declined so badly that these hard decisions now had to be made even though she was only 62 years old.
On Christmas Eve, my mom attended her very first and last Christmas Eve service. My entire life she had always commented on how she wanted to go to Christmas Eve service, but we had other family obligations that day, and it would not have been possible. “I just think it would be so beautiful,” she always said. That night, she finally got to experience it. And she loved it. The next morning, she woke up very ill and did not get out of the bed the entire day. Three days later, she went back into the hospital. Five weeks later, she was in heaven.
It was 10 years ago this very day that I held her hand as she met Jesus. Life has gone on, but it has never quite been the same. Christmases have been hard. Birthdays have been hard. Mother’s Day is hard. But items like this picture keep her alive to me and help me to let my boys know of the faith that I learned from her. As I wiped away many, many tears after Stewart and Zach handed me this treasure, Zach asked me questions about her, and I was able to tell him stories. It truly is the gift that will keep on giving!
There have been days in the past 10 years that have been hard, but there has never been a day when I wasn’t thankful that God chose her to be my mom. Today I choose that thankfulness again, knowing there will be a heavenly reunion one day!
That cross-stitch picture is now one of the treasures of my life! If I had room in my house, it would be up all year, and the world would just have to get over me having Christmas things out in July when it’s 110 degrees. But for now, it is stored until next Christmas when I can enjoy it for the full season.
The rest of the story on that picture is this: the day Stewart gave me that gift, it had been exactly 10 years since my mom had celebrated her last Christmas.
My mom had gone into the hospital in Homer, Louisiana, mere days before Zach’s first birthday on December 4, 2009. I had stayed with her a few days until I just had to come home to prepare for Zach’s party. She remained there until right before Christmas, when Stewart and I had brought her to our house to celebrate the holiday and to find a care facility in which to place her. Her health had declined so badly that these hard decisions now had to be made even though she was only 62 years old.
On Christmas Eve, my mom attended her very first and last Christmas Eve service. My entire life she had always commented on how she wanted to go to Christmas Eve service, but we had other family obligations that day, and it would not have been possible. “I just think it would be so beautiful,” she always said. That night, she finally got to experience it. And she loved it. The next morning, she woke up very ill and did not get out of the bed the entire day. Three days later, she went back into the hospital. Five weeks later, she was in heaven.
It was 10 years ago this very day that I held her hand as she met Jesus. Life has gone on, but it has never quite been the same. Christmases have been hard. Birthdays have been hard. Mother’s Day is hard. But items like this picture keep her alive to me and help me to let my boys know of the faith that I learned from her. As I wiped away many, many tears after Stewart and Zach handed me this treasure, Zach asked me questions about her, and I was able to tell him stories. It truly is the gift that will keep on giving!
There have been days in the past 10 years that have been hard, but there has never been a day when I wasn’t thankful that God chose her to be my mom. Today I choose that thankfulness again, knowing there will be a heavenly reunion one day!
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| The last known photo of my mom with Zach, some time in the spring of 2009. As you can see, the Santa love was real - even in the spring! |
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