Fondly

A beloved relative died last week. She's technically not "mine" anymore, though it's difficult not to think of her as related. She had a way of showing up at just the right time, bearing potato salad or spinach salad for myself and someone else, or introducing my kids to "hot dog soup" -- which has become their all time favorite quick meal. She once hung a shopping bag off the front door knob, with lovely jammies for me inside it. It was just because she knew exactly what it was to be in my shoes - missing my very busy med student hubby, on a tighter than tight budget, mom to a bunch of little kids. She brought her world famous enchiladas to someone's graduation dinner. Too much going on, trying to make that weekend a great one, and I just never did sit down long enough to get to the enchiladas, though I'd been drooling a little at the thought of them since she'd offered to bring them months before.

She commented to me once that watching me with Q was like watching one-to-one nursing care, 24/7. She was suspicious of Veggie Tales ("Can talking vegetables really be a good influence on young children?" Ha!) and unfailingly gentle and engaged with little ones - loving on Q and getting him to burble to her, and bringing toddler G the Good Dog, Carl book when she realized that he might be afraid of their large dog. We loved that book, just about to pieces.

I so admired her for who she was: a fierce mama to her kids, whip-smart, wickedly funny, kind, insightful, a touchstone for her husband, a loyal and attentive friend, widely read, loving, and able to throw snark with champions. It seems brutally unfair that such a person should be gone from her family, her life, from the lives of the people who loved her so. I'm sad and fairly weepy.

I have good stuff to share about the more current doings here, but that will have to be later. We've such cool things happening at church this weekend, and I've got to go blow my nose a few more times before hitting the sack so we can be ready for the morning. For goodness sakes, love on the people you find to be important to you. Really.

XO.