Today has been a sad day. I lost my father-in-law, this morning. More importantly, Davis lost his Daddy. My kids lost their Gramps. Coco, his dog, lost his best buddy. He was 90, but I guess, no matter how old, we’re never really ready to give up the ones we love. 

He was such a lovable character. He loved his family and was so proud of his sons and grandchildren. He got a lot of joy out of dispensing white bank envelopes at Christmas and on birthdays. He had an endearing wit and liked to tell stories from his military days. He served in Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Germany, and a lot of other faraway places and we’re all so proud of his service and accomplishments. Even though he was retired from the Air Force, he never retired from military discipline. Predictable doesn’t even begin to cover it. He liked everything to be the same and to be done in the same way- every single day. He was very thorough and conscientious and if he wasn’t 30 minutes early, he considered himself to be late. He could be direct, but we all knew that was the matter of fact-ness he’d learned in the service and took it in stride. He lived out in the country and never liked to be gone away from home for too long. He loved to share the bounty of his blueberry bushes, fig and pear trees, and catfish ponds with neighbors and friends from church. He was very generous with all that he had. He was a man of God and prayed the most humble and sweet prayers. He took such good and faithful care of his sweetheart through in her decline with dementia. He was determined to continue doing the work around his place himself even when it might not have been the safest option. He valued his independence and wanted to do what he could for as long as he could do it. He was a good man with a good heart and his presence will be missed in our lives. 

Through the years, Davis and I have lost a lot of loved ones, but most of them have been after a long period of terrible sickness or mental decline, where their eventual death had already been accepted in small increments along the descending way. But, while Gramps did have health problems, he was still a very active and present part of our lives, so it feels a bit different. I suppose, even at 90, when a soul’s light is snuffed out from our presence all at once, it’s harder for the heart to adjust to the sudden darkness that it leaves than if it had been slowly dimmed to dark. I’m not sure either way is easy, but they are felt differently in the heart. 

Davis has lost both of his parents now. Whenever that happens, a lot of changes are sure to follow. The old home place likely won’t be the gathering site for family events and holidays. That’s usually the way it goes. I remember when my grandparents’ homes were left empty. The place that was once the hub of family activities, became just a shell of a house. The homes had lost their heart- the thing that had drawn us there and had made them so very dear. Such is the course of life and we’re reminded to make the most of our years and start new traditions with the younger generations, while never letting them forget the old. It’s where they came from and part of who they are. 

Even at the end of life, God is so good and faithful. It’s, sometimes, easy to forget how He’s able to answer our prayers in very specific ways until He gives us undeniable reminders. He’s given us plenty of those today. God gave Gramps the gift of a peaceful end and so many other mercies for which we hadn’t even thought to pray. He is a loving and merciful Father. 

Night, friends. 

JONI