Family Ties On Special Days
It's been nearly nine months since Jackie died. Jackie is our daughter who died last August at the age of 49. Needless to say, she has been greatly missed. Mostly, I'm sure, by her husband of 31 years, Paul and their four children, Melissa, James, Patrick and Joshua and Melissa's husband, Ben. But she has also been greatly missed by her sister and brother-in-law, Becky and Jim Syme and their children, Chris and Dana and Chris' wife, Ellen.. And then I add, Pat and myself. Pat and I have been greatly ministered to and blessed because of the close ties and relationships of this fourteen in our immediate family. God, in his grace, gave all of us a great gift of peace and comfort and affirmed our faith in the midst of our grief. I think He was able to do this for us because Jackie was a woman of such dynamic faith who faced death as a conqueror and at last welcomed her transition to heaven.
Since that sad time in August we have gone through nearly a year of "special" days in which we were reminded of how much we missed her. First, there was Thanksgiving which had always been such a large family day for us, then Christmas, which goes without explaining, and then her birthday in March, and Easter in April. Then this past Sunday, Mother's Day. As we approached this day Pat and I seemed to feel it more than all the other times. I suppose it was because we were thinking of Paul and their children. Then Patrick called on Saturday night and asked, "What's your schedule tomorrow? Dad, Joshua and I want to meet you for church and James will meet us there so we can all worship together. Then we'll go to lunch in Paducah, then go by and visit Mom's grave." Our brief time of blueness changed to joy and once again God's grace and family blessed another special day and together we "celebrated" the life of a wonderful daughter, a loving wife and a terrific Mom. I think all of us felt it was one of the nicest days we could have had.
Now, since Jackie went to be with Jesus, Jessica came along and the next generation has begun. Soon Olivia will be here and that immediate clan will have grown to sixteen.
Somehow I think Jackie is still a real part of what's happening in the family and the special days are made more special because of her. It's hard to imagine that my little girl is now a grandmother herself and is soon to be a great aunt.
posted by Bert Owen @ 12:44 PM
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