pieces and ponderings

The last couple of weeks have been crazy with a college graduation, postponed from the spring because the town where my son attends  school was recovering from a deadly spring storm and moving him back to finish his graduate degree;  school  starting for children 3-5, leader training for a Bible study that I participate in, AND child number 2 preparing to leave home for college.

Tomorrow is the big moving day.  We leave early in the morning…child number 2, her daddy and I.  Boxes and luggage await to be loaded into her car and Bryan Darling’s truck as I write this.

I’m thankful that I took a break and checked my email earlier this evening and found a message from my Aunt Barbara.  Her words met my heart right where it is and gave my distracted thoughts a place to rest just for a while and find encouraging sentiments.

Once again she understands where I am and what I am feeling.  Here is a portion of our exchange.

“Dear Donna,

I guess tomorrow will be both a giggly and busy day.  I am tickled to death, as I am sure all of you are, that Amy is moving into the dorm and meeting new people and starting new classes and loving it all. But I’m also thinking that it may be a quiet drive back home. It is weird to me how history repeats itself in a way. (CAUTION ALERT! Here comes another “when-Barbara-was-a-little-girl” story). Mom and dad worked really hard to find a school where I could live on campus. And they moved me and my book case and my bed chair and a couple of stuffed animals – – plus clothes, shoes, and a card table – – into Mynders East about this time of year 53 years ago. I was scared stiff – – afraid that it all was going to be more than I could manage.  It took me a long time to realize that that day took a lot of courage on my parent’s part. And it has occurred to me this week that that same scenario is happening all over again for y’all.  Sorta.  I used to watch you, Donna, with your grandmother and see how complete she looked with you. So many things about you remind me of her – – your reserved nature, your naturalness (though she did love that lipstick and fingernail polish), your faith.

And there’s another weird thing about today. Your mom just called, after I had written that first part above. I think I’ll let her tell you the story. Ask her about the “pocket dictionary.” I really do not want to get completely loopy in my last years, but I am more and more persuaded that there are no accidents.   Just patterns.  Patterns that we pass on from one generation to another, with God’s grace.

Love, Aunt Barbara

And here is my response:
Aunt Barbara,

Your story encouraged me greatly!  We have had a good day…Amy and I running last minute errands and gathering those last few items for dorm life.  I am very excited for her, but cannot fathom leaving her.

We got all of her medication packed this evening and it will be hard for me to not have some control over that…the measuring and reminding.  I probably will still remind her every once in a while via text message.  She does a good job remembering, but still “Amy, did you take your medicine?”  has been a regular part of our nighttime conversations for over two years now.   It feels funny that the 7-day medicine container will not be a part of the kitchen decor now.

I know that she is ready and I am cheering really hard for her.  Just the same…I will need to make sure that there’s a box of Kleenex in the car for the ride home.

much love,

donna

This is where I am tonight.  Early in the morning, I will be travelling with my girl and her daddy…cheering her on as we go.

(author’s note: My Aunt had polio as a child, which paralyzed her right arm completely and she has limited use of her left arm.  She is one of my heroes.  My daughter was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 17.  She is also my hero.)