Yesterday

At the end of my grandma's life, she grabbed my mom's arm and said, "Joy, joy, joy." Sorta out of the blue and not in character...she was just so full of pain for so many years of her life, joy was few and far between for her. Maybe she knew that...maybe she saw what was in her future in heaven...I don't know. But my mom went with the joy inspiration and had us release balloons at the end of the graveside service. It was beautiful.


the cemetery is the oldest one in Colorado Springs, and the older graves have trellises over the tombstones that have roses growing on them...one of my grandma's favorite flowers. As I was talking with some friends, we saw a giant butterfly land on a rose near by...my grandma would've loved it.

This day has been one that I have thought about since I was a little girl. I was always very aware of my grandma's pain...and longed for her to be released. Now she is. I imagine her skipping through heaven, eating cobbler and key lime pie and smiling wider and freer than she ever did here on earth. And that thought makes me smile.