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Transformed in 10 Minutes: Mom-Mom’s Story
Indomitable woman though she was, my grandmother had feared death since she was forty. Now, at eighty-five, she was dead. She had flatlined in the hospital, and the nurses struggled to revive her. Images of Mom-Mom passing before she was ready—before we were ready—shot through my mind. Mom-Mom was the kind of woman you knew loved you even as she scolded you for lackluster bow-tying skills or an inability to pick decent paint colors. (To her, Betty Jean, the only acceptable hues were bright green or canary yellow.) She was the kind of woman who always wanted to give you something. You might not know it, but you probably needed a couch from Goodwill, tomatoes from a farmer’s market, or peanut butter fudge she’d made with an oar-sized spoon. (Betty Jean made regular trips to The Restaurant Store.) And she was the kind of woman who always wanted to take you somewhere. Her favorite places were yard sales, Amish country, and the Sight and Sound Theatre. (Betty Jean loved their musicals that bring Bible stories to life.) Now, she was gone. ... [ read more ]
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Daddy Will, One of My Favorite Veterans
Who’s your favorite veteran? Mine is my late grandfather, whom we affectionately called Daddy Will. As a young man, he served in Army intelligence during the Korean War. On one dangerous mission, he lost most of his men. Many had …[ read more ]
• • •Breast Cancer: My Friend Becky’s Battle
Who have you lost to breast cancer? This week, my funny, gifted, and beautiful friend Becky would have turned forty-one. In honor of her birthday—and Breast Cancer Awareness Month—allow me to share part of her story. If you so desire, …[ read more ]
• • •Second Chances: A Miracle of More Time
What would you give for one more week with your loved one? Today would’ve been the 88th birthday of my co-author’s father. As she writes in our book, “The human heart isn’t wired for separation. It’s unnatural. Unsettling. But separation …[ read more ]
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