Memories...
January 11 will be one year since my great uncle Richard passed away. I had been wanting to write about him several times in the past year and I just never did. So here I am now.
Last year I got a phone call from my parents say that uncle Richard isn't doing good and he probably wouldn't be with us much longer. Sunday January 11th I got a phone before I left for church. I knew right away what it was about. It was my dad telling me that uncle Richard passed away a couple hours ago. It was a hard thing to hear. This was the first relative that passed away while I was living in Alaska. I knew I wouldn't be able to go back to Michigan for the funeral and it was hurting me inside. I had a 2 month old and an almost 2 year old. We also couldn't afford for me to go. The rest of the day I just cried on and off. I held my babies closer. I kept singing hymns that I hadn't sung in a long time to Emma while I was trying to get her to go to bed. I remember that the kids were having a rough day so I had skipped Bible study. James was at work and all I could do was try to be as normal as possible for Payton. It was just a long night of thinking about my uncle Richard.
For the past few weeks he has been on my mind a lot. I was listening to the song Going Home for Christmas by Steven Curtis Chapman and it just made me think of uncle Richard and how he was finally home for Christmas and reunited with his parents. I was also thinking about how I had decided to send him a birthday card at the last moment when I was buying birthdays cards for my mom, mother in law, and my grandpa. My mom told me that he was excited to get that birthday card. It was the first mail he had received in a very long time. I had decided that I would send him another the next year, but that didn't happen. I am just thankful that I sent that one card. I have to remind myself that I did go and see him when I was in Michigan back in June of 2013.
I have all these memories that have been playing in my head lately, so I will share a few.
During my six grade year uncle Richard lived with us. He would normally just sit in his room and rock back and forth. Sometimes he had the radio on. On nice days he would go out and sit on the front porch. He did it so often that when he moved out my mom gave him the chair to put on his porch. I also remember when him and aunt Joyce (they are brother and sister) moved across the street. I went over a could times a week to help pick up some and he would always have something for me. If they had gone to the store they picked up either candy or Frito's chili cheese chips. I always see the chips in the stores and think of uncle Richard. He also gave me magazines to take to my sister. I love that he loved us. Despite his health issues he loved us in his own way.
I am sad that I wasn't able to introduce him to Emma. We went to Michigan in August last year and I made sure I saw all my grandparents. Even if it was only for a few moments. I don't know how much longer each one has left on this earth. I pray that I will get to see them come the end of May. But I am at peace if one of them passes before then.
I am thankful for my family that goes and visits my grandparents and aunt Joyce. I know I would love to be able to visit with everyone one more time, but we aren't promised tomorrow. I have to remember that everything is in God's hand. He cares for me and he is there for me when times are hard.
I'm sorry if this is all over the place, but this has been an on and off again subject in my head for almost a year and I had to just let some of it out.
Last year I got a phone call from my parents say that uncle Richard isn't doing good and he probably wouldn't be with us much longer. Sunday January 11th I got a phone before I left for church. I knew right away what it was about. It was my dad telling me that uncle Richard passed away a couple hours ago. It was a hard thing to hear. This was the first relative that passed away while I was living in Alaska. I knew I wouldn't be able to go back to Michigan for the funeral and it was hurting me inside. I had a 2 month old and an almost 2 year old. We also couldn't afford for me to go. The rest of the day I just cried on and off. I held my babies closer. I kept singing hymns that I hadn't sung in a long time to Emma while I was trying to get her to go to bed. I remember that the kids were having a rough day so I had skipped Bible study. James was at work and all I could do was try to be as normal as possible for Payton. It was just a long night of thinking about my uncle Richard.
For the past few weeks he has been on my mind a lot. I was listening to the song Going Home for Christmas by Steven Curtis Chapman and it just made me think of uncle Richard and how he was finally home for Christmas and reunited with his parents. I was also thinking about how I had decided to send him a birthday card at the last moment when I was buying birthdays cards for my mom, mother in law, and my grandpa. My mom told me that he was excited to get that birthday card. It was the first mail he had received in a very long time. I had decided that I would send him another the next year, but that didn't happen. I am just thankful that I sent that one card. I have to remind myself that I did go and see him when I was in Michigan back in June of 2013.
I have all these memories that have been playing in my head lately, so I will share a few.
During my six grade year uncle Richard lived with us. He would normally just sit in his room and rock back and forth. Sometimes he had the radio on. On nice days he would go out and sit on the front porch. He did it so often that when he moved out my mom gave him the chair to put on his porch. I also remember when him and aunt Joyce (they are brother and sister) moved across the street. I went over a could times a week to help pick up some and he would always have something for me. If they had gone to the store they picked up either candy or Frito's chili cheese chips. I always see the chips in the stores and think of uncle Richard. He also gave me magazines to take to my sister. I love that he loved us. Despite his health issues he loved us in his own way.
I am sad that I wasn't able to introduce him to Emma. We went to Michigan in August last year and I made sure I saw all my grandparents. Even if it was only for a few moments. I don't know how much longer each one has left on this earth. I pray that I will get to see them come the end of May. But I am at peace if one of them passes before then.
I am thankful for my family that goes and visits my grandparents and aunt Joyce. I know I would love to be able to visit with everyone one more time, but we aren't promised tomorrow. I have to remember that everything is in God's hand. He cares for me and he is there for me when times are hard.
I'm sorry if this is all over the place, but this has been an on and off again subject in my head for almost a year and I had to just let some of it out.
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