The Rest of the Story

We Brought You Flowers

Eva,

This year has been very wet with two major storms already. Earlier this month we had Hurricane Beryl blow through town and power was out for days. We have had rain every day and the ground is saturated. It has been cooler this summer, and I have not left the house some days.

I have had more time here alone the past few weeks and have been thinking about the many things I miss doing with you and the talks we used to have. I miss them these days. After it stopped raining yesterday, we went to your grave to spend time together there. We brought you the flowers that Jennifer had bought and arranged for you. It was a bittersweet time, as it always is when we go there. We know you are not there, that you are in Heaven, and that your presence can be felt wherever we are; however, it is a time that we share together when we can say as a family, that we love and miss you very much.

Our great-granddaughter, Aurora Rose, was with us again today. She is two years old now and you would quickly notice how much she is like Lauren was when she was that age. She wanted to play with the ducks that are always there at the lake nearby.  She was not happy that they retreated to the water when she tried to get closer. She got angry with Grace when she picked her up to keep her from following them into the water.  I guess the thing I wish had been different was that you had a chance to see her when she was born only a short time later. I understand God’s timing is always best even if we do not know why. Aurora is a reminder to me of how important you were to Kaylee, Lauren, and Grace during their early years and the love you shared with them.

Today is the second anniversary of your birthday since you left our presence and shed your pains. We are grateful for you reaching your destination and that you are pain-free. I thank God for giving me those 58 years together and our shared experiences. The pain of missing being with you is a reminder of a good life I was given that was more than I deserved. Both God and you gave me unconditional love and I will never forget that.

Only God knows the hour and day when my time is up here on Earth, but I look forward to that moment when we can be together again. I will always love you.

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