In Memory.....

Aunt Irene w/ her daughter Delores Grandma Ella Ford As I sit here and write on this blog, my heart is truly broken. This past week, I lost 2 very special people in my life. First of all I lost my last Grandma, Ella Ford, in Louisiana. I was able to be there the last 2 days of her life and they were some special days. I would like to share one thing with you all that she said to me. When I arrived on Wednesday, she was very comfortable and was just sitting in her chair w/ her eyes closed. I went and knelt down beside her and said 'Hello grandma, it's Lisa. She opened her eyes a little and smiled and said, Lisa Ray. I said yes grandma Lisa Ray. Then she said "Thank You". I said what are you thanking me for ? And she said, for all the great times that we had spent together in the last few years. WOW !! She was a special lady in my life that I had only the priviledge to really get to know in the last few years. And the moments that I had with her family the days before, sitting by her side and singing old Church hymns were definetly PRICELESS !! I returned to Arkansas on Saturday afternoon from Lousiana, just in time to pick up Doy and head to the hospital. I had gotten the call while in Louisiana that my great-aunt Irene was being put on hospice and was not going to be with us very much longer. When I arrived, I was so shocked by the shape that she was in. This night too was very precious to me, as I got to spend some valuable time w/ a precious Lady in her last stages of life on this earth. She knew all of us that were with her and she made us laugh even until the end. As some of you might have known Aunt Rene, she was the ultimate joker. Even if you were in the worst mood and was around her, you were eventually cheered up and no more worries in the world. Aunt Rene had this glow about her all the time. The night that she died, just out of the blue, she said "Testing"..and I thought that's what she had said, but I questioned her again and she said the same thing...Testing. I said what are you testing ?? She said that she was just testing us to see if we were all still with her !! ha,ha What a laugh we got. I'm so grateful that in the last moment of her life here on earth, I was the one of the ones holding her hand as she departed from this earth, to be with her Heavenly Father and all of her family and friends waiting there to greet her w/ open arms. Thank you Aunt Rene and Grandma Ford for all the great memories !! I love you both !!