This past month our family packed our bags and car and headed south to my beloved home state of Mississippi. Home to my mama who has inspired me not only for this blog, but also for the love of family and life itself. We had a wonderful time with her and my family that live there including my brother, his children, grandchildren and even his great grandchildren! That makes my mama a great great grandma. What a privilege to be able to know your great great grandchildren and be a part of their lives! Amazing. Mama loves every minute of it too. Her great great granddaughter's name is Emma who is named after her. She is an adorable reminder of how precious family and life really are.
While I was there, I also went to visit my childhood best friend. It was a bittersweet visit this year. She had just said goodbye to her mama. She lost not only her mama, but her best friend as well. As she shared the beautiful story of her mama's "Going Home" we were sad, we cried, and yet we were amazed at what a beautiful testament her last days were. Her daughter had prayed that she would not suffer so greatly at the end. Her mama had been through a long battle with cancer, and she just wanted to see her be at peace. Family was everything to her mama, and she was one of the sweetest women ever. God answered my friend's prayer. During her last week on Earth her friends and family came one by one, everyday, all day. Each night my friend and her mama would go to bed talking about who came that day and how good it was to see them. That final night came and my friend said that she had wished she had known it was the last, for if she had known, she would have talked all night. Her mama had gone to sleep feeling good and so happy that night. There was no reason to believe it was to be her last. In her passing, she had given her daughter one last precious gift. She told her how happy her life had been and how much she loved her and all the people who were very dear to her. Psalms 116:15 tells us "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints". My friend can carry that with her forever, knowing God gave her mom a beautiful exit from this world and into her home in heaven. Mrs. Kelly was blessed, but she was also a blessing to all who knew her. No wonder she had such a wonderful Going Home.
While I was there, I also went to visit my childhood best friend. It was a bittersweet visit this year. She had just said goodbye to her mama. She lost not only her mama, but her best friend as well. As she shared the beautiful story of her mama's "Going Home" we were sad, we cried, and yet we were amazed at what a beautiful testament her last days were. Her daughter had prayed that she would not suffer so greatly at the end. Her mama had been through a long battle with cancer, and she just wanted to see her be at peace. Family was everything to her mama, and she was one of the sweetest women ever. God answered my friend's prayer. During her last week on Earth her friends and family came one by one, everyday, all day. Each night my friend and her mama would go to bed talking about who came that day and how good it was to see them. That final night came and my friend said that she had wished she had known it was the last, for if she had known, she would have talked all night. Her mama had gone to sleep feeling good and so happy that night. There was no reason to believe it was to be her last. In her passing, she had given her daughter one last precious gift. She told her how happy her life had been and how much she loved her and all the people who were very dear to her. Psalms 116:15 tells us "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints". My friend can carry that with her forever, knowing God gave her mom a beautiful exit from this world and into her home in heaven. Mrs. Kelly was blessed, but she was also a blessing to all who knew her. No wonder she had such a wonderful Going Home.
