Addison's Adventures: My Grandmother

Last Friday, July 30th, my Grandmother passed away. We knew this day was coming for quite some time, but that still didn’t make it any easier. Addie and I were visiting my parents in Tryon. We had debated back and forth whether to go or not, as my Grandmother was in the hospital. We thought she was improving, so went ahead with our trip. (I already had the plane tickets.) We were there for less than 48 hours. Aunt Pam called mom, and mom decided she needed to go. I’m so glad she did. She ended up driving Addie and I back to Birmingham, then headed to Columbus. She got to spend almost 2 days with her before she passed. We don’t know if she was even aware that my mom and Aunt Pam were there with her. However, I know it made them feel better to sit with her, sing to her, massage her hands, make sure she was comfortable, etc. I imagine she was much too focused on seeing my Granddaddy’s handsome face again to worry about what was going on in her hospital room. :)

I left on Saturday morning to go to Columbus. I wanted to see my mom and my aunts (And my Uncle!). I wanted to know that, although they sounded fine on the phone, they really were alright. I LOVE being around my family. I think they’re hilarious and fun. PLUS, I got the added bonus of getting to catch up with Briarly and see my brother. We sat around and talked about my Grandmother. They talked about growing up, and how she was as a mom. We laughed about how she had the most “kid unfriendly” house ever. (Seriously, it was like finding gold when we found a glasses case to play with…) But mostly, we celebrated her. She was the center of almost all the conversations that weekend. She would have loved every minute of it. :)

We had a lovely memorial service for her on Sunday. There was a poem that my Grandmother found years ago, that she gave all three of her girls a copy of. My mom read it at the Memorial Service, and I think it was perfect.

A Parable on Motherhood by Temple Bailey

The young mother set her foot on the oath of life. “Is the way long?” she asked. And her guide said, “Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning.” But the young mother was happy and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children and gathered flowers for them along the way and bathed with them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them and life was good, and the young mother cried, “Nothing will ever be lovelier than this.”

Then night came, and storm, and the path was dark and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle and the children said, “O mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come,” and the mother said, “This is better than the brightness of day, for I have taught my children courage.”

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary, but at all times she said to the children, “A little patience and we are there.” So the children climbed and when they reached the top, they said, “We could not have done it without you, Mother.” And the mother, when she lay down that night, looked up at the stars and said, “This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage, today I have given them strength.”

And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth – clouds of war and hate and evil – and the children groped and stumbled and the mother said, “Look up. Lift your eyes to the light.” And the children looked and saw above the clouds an Everlasting Glory, and it guided them and brought them beyond the darkness. And that night the mother said, “This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God.”

And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old, and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong and walked with courage. And when the way was rough they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide.

And the mother said, “I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know that the end is better than the beginning for my children can walk alone, and their children after them.”

And the children said, “You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates.”

And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said, “We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a Living Presence.”

4 Generations , Addie’s first time to meet her Great Grandmother.

Great Grandmother and Addie

Great Grandmother with Addie and Penny, First time to meet Penny.

Thanksgiving 2009 , we had the private dining room and all had Thanksgiving dinner with Grandmom at Covenant Woods. She was SO proud to have her family come, and she LOVED showing off those babies!