Last weekend I got to go home to Arkansas to spend some much needed time with the fam. Some that I haven't seen in too, too long, and other's that I am blessed to talk to and see more often. Regardless of how often I see or hear from them, I love them all, and it was so good to exchange hugs, many laughs, and be at rest with the ones you cherish most.
A vital part of that fam is my Grandpa Chancellor. As I mentioned in my previous post, he turns my heart to absolute mush. I talked to him on the phone Thursday evening and told him I was going to come see him in Malvern on Saturday. He was so excited! I asked him if he wanted me to bring him some "sweetnin'," which is his word for "dessert." He said, in the sweetest voice, "Nah...you just give me a kiss and that'll be sweetnin' enough." Presh!
Here is a picture of my precious Grandpa. Poor thing. He was feeling awful that day. In fact, we found out his blood pressure that day was 90/18, which is dangerous stroke territory! Luckily my little sis, Whit-Whit, is a nurse and she was able to direct him on how to get it back up with his medications. Whew! No matter how bad he felt, he managed to pop off one of his hilarious Grandpa Chancellor-isms, that Whit and I have come to love more than just about anything in this world. The way he shows affection has historically been that of a second grader who pushes girls on the playground to tell them he thinks they are pretty alright. When some might say, "I am so glad you're my granddaughter" followed by an embrace, we have always gotten "Who's girl are you!????" with his dukes up in the air, as if he was looking for a good fight. He also regularly throws out the fact that he is going to "drop kick" one or both of us. I think our all time favorite, though, is when he told us to sit really close to each other on the couch so that he could knock both of us out with one punch! Oh man. I have NEVER laughed that hard in my life! Anyway, this past Saturday, he came at it a different way. Instead of physical harm, he was going to use a scare tactic. Imagine, if you will, an 83-year-old man who talks like Boomhauer from King of the Hill. In all seriousness, he said, "You almost walked in on a stranger!!! I found a long wig out in the shed and was gonna put it on with some earrings, and you'da thought I's a stranger!" I cracked up. The man...never, EVER know what you're going to get. I sure do love him.
When I got home Sunday night, we had Questions and Answers night with our small group of teenagers. (I say small, but it's really about 40 kids) Q&A night is where they can ask ANY question that's on their mind, and we'll try to answer it to the best of our ability. One girl asked if we thought someone could really die of a broken heart when someone they love passes away before them. That hit close to home after my visit with my Grandpa. He has gone downhill significantly in health since my Grandma passed away last September. That question combined with being a newlywed, has really made me think a lot this week about losing someone you love, whether a spouse, a child, a parent, a sibling...even a close friend. Of course I believe that our death is written in our book of life from the beginning. It comes as no surprise to our God if someone passes away soon after the loss of a loved one. However, more than a broken heart could devastate you to the point of death, I think a broken spirit is the cause of it all. My Grandpa and Grandma had been together their whole lives basically. In her last years, he cared for her in the most admirable, loving, committed way...the way all of us long to be loved and cared for. I am so thankful I have grown up with that example of commitment and marriage before me. So thankful. I know that when my Grandma was finally gone, his tired spirit went with her....that was his lifeblood, and I believe what caused his heart to beat. Without your heartbeat, the body shuts down. I believe it's the same without the spirit.
I also looked through old family photos at my Grandpa's house for a Chancellor family history web site we recently found. It was so fun to ask my Grandpa who everyone was, what they were doing, where they were, what happened to them, etc. It did my heart good to see that spirit back in him as he relived moments and relationships while looking at those photos with my dad, mom, and me. It sweetly reminded me that we were created for relationships and fellowship. We were created to love one another and do life together. To care for each other and hold each other up, no matter the distance between us. It also reminded me that families are such a gift from God. My family is wonderful. On both sides, and I am blessed for that. All that to say, love on each other...tell each other you love one another and why...laugh together, and let your spirit soak up every moment together on this side of Heaven. Life is short, but life is precious, and life is good.
No comments:
Post a Comment