Today I had the heart wrenching task of telling my ninety year old mother that her baby brother had died. Even at ninety saying farewell to a sibling is excruciating. It broke my heart to see her grief.
This is a photo of Mom and Donny taken many
years ago on Alexander Creek, Alaska, where the family has a homestead.
God sure is smart. When he created mankind he also created families. He knew we needed each other. Families are like the legs of a chair - it can't stand without them.
I grew up with two older brothers and two younger sisters. There are four of us still on this planet. Our youngest sister went to heaven many years ago. I still miss her.
Here we are when I was only ten.
The bottom line is we have a history together and when the chips are down we can count on each other. I have no doubt that they would be here for me if I needed them. I'm thankful for the love we share.
The time will come when we will have to say farewell, one by one. It's not going to be easy, but the Lord gave us a beautiful gift - heaven. When we say good-bye it is only for a while because one day we will be reunited.
I envision our mother (unless she outlives us) gathering all of us up, like a mother hen does her chicks. And in that place there will be no more tears, only joy and lots of love.
Do you have a brother or sister or mom or dad or special aunt or uncle or cousin or best friend that you'd like to tell how much they mean to you? Well, this is the place. All those who leave a comment will be included in this week's drawing for a FREE book. I'll be giving away a copy of Where Eagles Soar. Make sure to include you email address so I can contact you.
I haven't forgotten that we have a book winner from last week. The winner is Ann Ellison! Congratulations!
Grace and peace to you from God,
Bonnie
Oh, my where to start. I lost my wonderful parents when I was a teenager. I also lost one brother when I was nine years old. Then I lost my amazing loving brother in 1997. Two years ago I lost my 88 year old sister. That was my last sisbling. I know they are in a better place, but I miss them all.I have two nieces who are so special to me. I also lost my wonderful, loving husband in 2001. I do have a son and a grandson, who make my day. This 71 year old is blessed.
ReplyDeleteMy sympathy to you and your family...especially your Mom. My 93 year old aunt is the last living of her family of 9 and she told me "it is lonely to be the last one living"...I think I know what she meant. I am blessed to still have all of my sisters living but had to say goodbye for awhile to my brother. The joy in the whole process is that we know we will all be together again in Heaven. Yesterday was my mom's birthday...she died just a few days before 911 so has been gone for awhile, but so alive in my heart. Grateful for a loving family.
ReplyDeleteMy sympathies to you and your family. Losing a loved one is really hard. My mum lost her brother in January and his wife died suddenly last year. I would be very heartbroken if I lost my mum. I love her very much and my sister. After hearing the news of my uncle I sent a friend a test message telling her to "never leave me" She said she would try. She has suffered bad depression at times
ReplyDeleteRebecca, that is a lot of farewells. I'm so sorry. And thankful that you have a son and grandson who make your life brighter.
ReplyDeleteGod's blessings to you.
Rebecca, that is a lot of farewells. I'm so sorry. And thankful that you have a son and grandson who make your life brighter.
ReplyDeleteGod's blessings to you.
Akaylee,
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine being the last one - that would feel lonely. I'm lifting your aunt up to the Lord today.
So pleased to hear you have a special family to share your life with.
So thankful for a gracious, merciful God.
Dear Froggie, Mom is doing well. The rest of the family in Alaska ... I'm not sure about. They are close knit and loved Uncle Donny. He was a good man.
ReplyDeleteAnd what a good friend to hang on ... just for you. Stay close and love one another.
Bless you.
That photo of the two of them is sooooo great---they look alike! And you 'n the sib's photo is precious. Sad, the youngest went first. Also I know how hard it was for you to tell your mom, sigh. We'd been telling Ev about her losses for about 5 yrs. before she died--she became rather stoic, as it was so very sad and so very often. She said, "It is very difficult to be the last leaf on the tree." Sigh. I lost everyone in my family when I was young--but God has left my twin Peggy and I here to carry on--it's some weird responsibility, I tell ya! But we know they each one are in heaven and will be one grand reunion so I lovingly and sometimes even laughingly look forward to that time whenever it may come. But I cannot envision being here without my Peggy. No, That's just not right. Very wrong. But my friends will somehow hold me up if that happens. :(
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about your loving family. Does someone in your family still live on the homestead in Alaska? I used to be really close to my younger sister, but have fallen out of her favor. It makes me so sad, and now we rarely communicate.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to feel distant, when for 50 years we were all so close. I know God hears my cry, so I will keep on hoping for things to improve.
God bless!
I also come from a large family. I have two older sisters and two younger sisters and a younger brother. They are a great support system when ever one of us is hurting. We have lost both of our parents so it has drawn us even closer. I am sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteLost my sister Linda in my first year of college in a car wreck at Idleyld store. Still miss her everyday over 40 years later. It's hard to say goodbye. So--- Until we meet again.
ReplyDeleteMy dad. I miss my dad every day. He was a quiet, humble man. He never talked about his father, who killed himself when my dad was only 15 yrs old. He came home from school one day and found him. I can't imagine what it was like to be the one to find your parent dead of a bullet to the face. My dad had to grow up real quick. He had one brother and two sisters. He was the oldest and now the man of the house. Though he didn't talk about his life, I have always felt he was not appreciated by his brother and sisters. We were raised in sunny Los Angeles, away from his family. I believe in my heart, my mother's family treated him better than his own. We had a great life in LA and I am happy he chose to stay in California. My grandpa had his own elictricle business and gave my dad a job. He worked hard to take care of us. He came from a family that his mother and sister fought each other. My mom's side of the family all get along great. If it was the weekend, we were all at grandma and grandpa's. There were nine of us cousins and the adults played poker all night. He taught us to love the outdoors by taking us to the mountains for fishing. We never got to go to Yosemite because it was crowded with phonies. We went to a campground called Robin son's Creek, in the High Siera's. We always had the campground to ourselves mostly. That's what camping really was. I asked him what he would have been if he wasn't an electrician, he said he wanted to be a forest ranger. He gave up his dream to raise us in LA near mom's family. I am forever thankful for that. I don't believe we would have had as close a family growing up in Washington. The things you do for L♡VE. He had COPD. He had it rough the last couple years, he left to be with the Lord in July 2007 In September 2006 my brother came up for dad's birthday, him and I took my dad to a fish hatchery to catch some dinner. It was years since he had been fishing. The fish were not hard to catch and didn't have much fight, but my dad's strength was not what it used to be. You would have to have been there to see the smile on his face. We were so happy to have taken him. One time when we were little, my aunt and uncle had a cabin in Big Bear, California, it snowed overnight and my dad went out and shoveled the snow from the four cars there, when he got done and came in for coffee, the snow plow came through and covered all the cars. His name is Herman Douglas Trover and he is my dad.
ReplyDeletePatti, there is so much I don't know about you - that you lost all your family when you were young. So sorry. And that you have a twin.
ReplyDeleteWe have to get together.
Bless you.
Friendofmusic, (love your name) my family still have homesteads on the creek. Uncle Donny used to live there year round, but the other family members (I believe) are there only part of the year.
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautiful place. I've been there and would love to go back.
I'm so sorry about your younger sister. That happened to mine too. She was ill with Lupus and bi-polar disorder and addictions and for many years we had very little contact. But the Lord was good to us and he restored our relationship.
Don't give up. The Lord does amazing things with our lives.
Theresa, I love big families. :-)
ReplyDeleteDennis, I'm so sorry. She was very young. That's extra hard.
My father died young, forty-two years ago, and I still miss him. He was a great dad.
Jerri, suicide is one of the worst ways to lose someone we love. I can't imagine how awful that was for your father ... to come home and find him like that.
ReplyDeleteAnd then your dad grew up to be a fine man who took good care of his family and made sacrifices. That's what good dads do.
Thank you for sharing your story.
Bless you.
hello Bonnie. Have lost so many of our large, poor, but happy family. Lost the sister closest to me in age when she was only 47 with cancer. And, my daddy just a few months later. now all 4 of my sisters are gone and 2 brothers, the last just Feb 4th, my baby brother. Now there is only two of us left. My oldest brother who will be 90 on June 6th, and myself who just turned 80 on the 7th of this month. My mother passed away in 1992. And, my sweet husband in 1997. Sure still miss all of them and our phone visits. I have lost 2 son-in-laws in the last 2 and half years.But thanks to GOD i do have 4 children, plus 2 steps, 12 grandchildren, and 18 greats. So I'm very lucky.
ReplyDeleteWould love to win your book.
Maxie > mac262(at)me(dot)com <
Maxie, it's so difficult to say good-bye and you've had to say so many. I'm so thankful you still have your brother, your children and grandchildren. What a blessing they must be.
ReplyDelete