May 11 – “Miss you, Mom”

I suppose it has been long enough for the poignant memories to begin to set in.  Chris got a text from Christina the other night just as we were preparing for bed.  It went something like this: “I just had a picture of MeeMaw up in heaven playing with two little Vaughan’s we never got to meet.”  Now a quick bit of explanation is in order.  In our family we have had two miscarriages.  Those are the two little ones we never got to meet, but who are no doubt enjoying the love of their great-grandmother right about now.  Very sweet thought.  Brought Chris to tears, for sure.

The memories are certainly there for Cailyn, too.  There have been several occasions where she has pondered the uncertainties of death as they relate to Mom.  She has a problem, for example, with anyone sitting in the chair Mom usually occupied at the dinner table.  The first time or two she just insisted that no one sit there.  Yesterday she advanced to using a little humor.  I was the culprit this time.  She informed me that I was sitting on top of MeeMaw.  I told her that she was my Mommy, so really I was just sitting in her lap.  Then she let us know that Mom had moved and was now perched atop my head. 

Another time she told Chris, “I want to go into MeeMaw’s room, but I can’t.”  Chris assured her it would be Ok, and even offered to join her.  Cailyn stopped at the door, though, and slowly took in the surroundings.  Finally she spoke, “I’m concerned about that.”  And she pointed at the bed.  Chris asked for clarification, and she explained that the blankets were spread on the bed all wrong.  Chris knew immediately what she meant.  She had washed all the bed coverings, and apparently returned them to the bed in the wrong order.  “We can fix that next time we make the bed.”  Satisfied for the moment, Cailyn continued her scan.  “I’m concerned about that frog, too.”  Sure enough, one of the stuffed frogs was out of place.”  An easy fix.  Chris joined her memory journey, “MeeMaw sure liked frogs, didn’t she?”  Cailyn replied, “Yep.  But not anymore.”  Concerned, Chris responded, “But there just might be frogs in heaven.”  “Oh, no,” was the definitive answer, “frogs don’t go to heaven.”  The heaven talk got her a bit excited, though.  She did some more imagining.  “In heaven, if MeeMaw falls and hurts her knee, Jesus is right there to put a band aid on it.”  Chris assured her that was indeed the case, and added, “You know, in heaven her knees don’t hurt anymore, do they?”  And Cailyn’s answer, “I know that Nani.  DadDad told me that she has a new body.  That’s weird.” 

And just yesterday I got to hear the details of a very special dream Cailyn had.  “I had a dream of MeeMaw sitting in the rocking chair and knitting.  And she was very happy and she was very fat.  And she was alive.  And I went close to her and I just gave her a big hug.”  That one was fun to listen to.  And it got better.  When she told it later on for Chris, it got more embellished and much more exciting.  She set the stage with an amazing description of the room.  “It was pitch dark over there.  And pitch dark over there.  And even behind me.  And all I could see was that rocking chair.  And in that rocking chair …”  She added dramatic pauses and whispers and indications of intense emotions like fear.  Well, you get the idea.  We have quite the little story-teller there.  Cailyn, that’s the stuff legends are made of.  Nathan and April … I can’t wait to hear some of her stories when she’s a teenager.  Watch out.

I know this has been an odd sort of Mother’s Day tribute, but on the other hand, what better way to say “I remember Mama” than through the eyes of children?  Miss you, Mom.

2 Timothy 1:5 says, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”

Father, thank you for the legacy of faith I received from my Mom.  Tell her I said hello, will you?”  Amen.