"Take care of Jewel, she's my Jewel."
That was a mantra that my grandpa, Crit, repeated over and over to us up until the day he died. Even when the dementia took over and ravished his body and mind, he never forgot my grandma. (Think Noah and Allie Calhoun in Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook.)
One year ago today, our family had to say goodbye to our beautiful mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother at her funeral. It was nearly impossible to say farwell to her. She was the strongest, most courageous woman I've ever know. Full of conviction and always carrying her family on her shoulders, even after burying her beloved husband and five of her twelve children, and many other loved ones.
She is greatly missed and I wanted to share the tribute my cousin Julie Ervin wrote and read at her eulogy.
PARADISE
She has only been gone a short time and knowing we will never see her again has left an ache in every heart that knew and loved her.
She has suffered loss time and time again, yet she continued through the pain for her family. Now we must do the same without her.
Keep her in your heart and your memories and the pain will ease.
Hold on to the hope that we can all be with her again someday in a beautiful world.
Her family will be whole again.
Hurt and pain will be no more.
Joy, love, and peace will be all there is for her in Paradise.
~Julie Ervin
Never doubt how much you were loved, granny and papaw. We are all better for having known you.
My heart goes out to you, but what a beautiful way to memorialize someone. It's the women that came before us that make us the women we are today. Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to (cyber)seeing you! :)
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