My Grandmommie

My sweet grandmother passed away just 10 days before her 97th birthday. Her health had been failing and it was a blessing when she passed away after being in a care center for over 5 years. The thing that was difficult for me was realizing that it had been over 20 years since Grandaddy passed away. It doesn't seem possible that they have been apart for that long. What a comfort to know that they are together at long last! Because they were from Texas/Oklahoma, we always called them Grandmommie and Grandaddy and thought how special we were to have them AND a Grama and Grampa!

My sister, Suzy, and I visited her in November and her eyes were so bright. We were so happy that she recognized us. Aunt Sharon later told us that was her last good day. What a huge blessing that was for Suzy and I!

The funeral was last week, so my parents made a quick trip down here, arriving on Tuesday, attending the funeral on Wednesday, and returning home on Thursday where Dad had his first Parowan City Council meeting.

I loved this beautiful poem my cousin, Gayle, read at the funeral. I don't think I've ever heard it before, and it was perfect. It was titled Life is Eternal but I also found it listed as Gone From My Sight or A Parable of Immortality, by Henry Van Dyke:

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,

spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts

for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.

I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a

speckof white cloud

just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone"

Gone where?

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mastand hull

and spar as she was when she left my side.

And, she is just as able

to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.

And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"

There are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready

to take up the glad shout:

"Here she comes!"

And that is dying...