Grace in the Storm Four weeks…It’s been 4 weeks since Bev moved to heaven. Unbelievable. I started cleaning Bev’s side of the closet this weekend. Oh the memories. Clothes. Shoes. Cards. Shoes. Her very first Bible. Oh…and did I mention “shoes?” In her defense, Bev wasn’t one to buy a bunch of shoes. Her father worked for a shoe factory back in the day. He designed women’s shoes. Bev happened to wear the same size shoe as the patterns her father designed. When trial runs were made, guess who got the trial pair of shoes. That’s right…my wife. There was a time when Bev’s shoe collection made Amelda Marcos look like a pauper. Bev always wanted me to help her pick out clothes. I didn’t mind…but more importantly…she didn’t mind me telling her if I liked something or not. So this weekend, as I started cleaning her closet, I was able to hold so many of those outfits in my hands…and remember. And surprisingly…it felt good. I wasn’t sure how I would feel as I sorted through her clothes. I was afraid it would all feel so final. Truthfully, I didn’t really want to do this. I didn’t really want to risk being reduced to tears. So I decided I would hang on to some of the items. I’m going to keep some of her outfits on hangers in the closet. Some items will remain in the drawers of the closet. The shelves will continue to hold a few of her items. And…yes…some of the shoes will remain on the shoe rack. These items remind me of Bev…the life we shared…the love we shared. The remaining items…well…I’m waiting on the kids. I want them to feel free to take anything they want that reminds them of their mom. Anything. The remaining items will be given to bless people in need. That’s what Bev would have wanted. That’s the kind of life she lived. She spent on those in need…food for hungry children in her class…coats for children in the winter…school supplies for students who couldn’t afford them. She served those in need…loading Santa’s bag with gifts to be delivered by the jolly old man to children who wouldn’t have a gift otherwise…preparing breakfast for a bunch of recovering addicts…stopping by the hospital to pray with someone who was ill. So yeah…Bev would want her stuff to bless people in need. So that’s what I’ll do with the remaining items. That will be good. As I was sorting through Bev’s things, Abi, our first grand-daughter, came to the house with her mom and dad. As soon as she walked through the door, she yelled, “Pops! Where are you?” “I’m back in the bedroom,” I replied. “Come on back here Abi.” I heard the patter of Abi’s feet as she ran back to my bedroom. “What are you doing Pops,” she asked? “I’m going through Grammy’s closet and trying clean things up a bit,” I replied. I pulled out one of the drawers and set it on my bed. Abi and I were sorting through the clothes when we came across a treasured discovery. It wasn’t a hidden stash of cash. It wasn’t a diamond necklace. No…nothing like that. There in the drawer as a pair of pink goggles Bev used to wear when she would swim at the Life Center. “Grammy’s goggles!” exclaimed Abi. “Did Grammy wear those goggles, Pops?” “She sure did,” I replied. “Let’s set the goggles over here. I’ll keep these.” As I continued sorting through the clothes, Abi remained focused on the pink goggles. “I like those goggles Pops. I really like Grammy’s goggles,” Abi said, “They’re beautiful.” I sat down on the edge of the bed. “Would you like to have Grammy’s goggles,” I asked. “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” replied an overly-dramatic little girl. And with that, Abi immediately grabbed the goggles, put them on and said, “Grammy’s goggles. Grammy’s goggles.” When Abi left the house this afternoon, she was proudly carrying the treasure we discovered while sorting through Bev’s clothes. And somehow, I can see in my mind’s eye, Bev smiling as she watches Abi exit with the pink goggles in hand. And I think I heard Bev say through her smile, “Good job Pops. Good job.” Thank you God for the gift of pink goggles. Until next time…
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 02:40:11 +0000
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