WHAT WILL BE YOUR LEGACY?

Today was a day filled with some sorrow, shared laughter, lots of emotion, and love. This evening visitation was held for Aunt Gladys. While we didn't have the opportunity to spend a great deal of time together, my mother has shared many fond memories of their times together. I delight in the stories Mom tells of the fun-loving, silly gal who liked to have fun back in the day. Mostly, I remember the amazing heart-shaped, jumbo sugar-cookies she would bake, decorate, and bring to our house on Valentine's Day. As luck would have it, her sugar-cookie recipe was recently found and passed down. Aunt Glady's cookie recipe and the heart-shaped cookie cutter Uncle Kenny hand-made especially for me will be a wonderful way to keep their memory alive with my own children and grandchildren each Valentine's Day.

Earlier today I attended the funeral of my very dear friend Deanna's mother. I adore the fact that while she mourned the loss of her mother, she will continue to celebrate the love they shared each and every day with her own children. She is taking all those warm, fuzzy, crazy moments she experienced with her mom that make her the woman she is today and passing all that love on to her own three children....because her mother was a stable, giving, loving, warm and nurturing woman that loved life, my friend is able to pass those same gifts on to her own children. What a wonderful legacy.

Deanna has three children. Her two older children are warm, loving and creative children that are more serious in nature. While the girls and I were visiting with her today she shared that her 3 year-old daughter Julia was a blessing during the very stressful days of Grandma's illness, because her bubbly personality brought a lot of joy and laughter that was desperately needed during this stressful time.

Case in point: Upon entering the funeral home with Mommy and Daddy-- who were making arrangements for her Grandma--Julia grabbed the funeral director's hand and exclaimed in a friendly voice, "Let's play hide and seek!" What a stress reliever!

This post is dedicated to Aunt Gladys and Deanna's mom--Mary. For what they brought to my life, I am grateful and my life is enriched for having known them.