Memories

One year ago today Christy passed into the presence of her Lord. It's a bittersweet time for her family...sorrow that she is not with us and at the memory of her sufferings and death, but also sweet memories of her and the ways she touched our lives. It is ironic that she passed away in October, which is breast cancer awareness month. Christy is one of the many hundreds of thousands whose lives have been claimed by this disease. Even now it seems a bit unreal that she actually had cancer. She always seemed so healthy with a spring in her step and color in her cheeks from a walk in the fresh air or gardening. Two things stand out in my mind upon reflecting Christy. One was her love for her Lord, never dull or boring but exuberating passion and vibrant joy in the One she talked about constantly. He was as real to her as life, and she lived in very obvious enjoyment of Him. The second thing was her adoration and affection for her "grandbabies". She was completely taken with them, and she often said how she wished she could stay here for their sakes, and felt so badly about having to leave them. I have never, and probably will never again, see a grandma who was so attached and loved her grandchildren so dearly. Certainly she was almost that way to a fault, but nevertheless her delight in each of them was unparalleled except by the Lord Himself. I miss her as "Grandma" too, for my children's sake, but realize and accept that God had His purposes in taking Christy home.

One of the fondest memories I have of Christy was during my first year after moving to Richmond. I would go over to her house sometimes if I was lonely or bored. She would greet me bundled up in several layers of clothes and the windows open because she loved the fresh air, even in wintertime! Then we'd have frozen blueberries and afterwards drink peppermint licorice tea because we were cold! But she always had bright smiles and would make me feel very welcome. Sometimes we'd get into her van and go to the mall or the health food store or the Christian book store. Other times we'd sit around and talk. I remember one time I was using their computer in the office and had to stop because my fingers were so numb from the cold that I couldn't type! Believe it or not, we didn't have a computer at our house yet, so I'd often go and use theirs. One day Jeff came in (he was still at home then) while I was typing something and gallantly presented me a ring box with a ribbon around it. Being gullible, I opened it and inside was a HUGE brown spider (one of those wolf spiders I think)! Well, he got great pleasure out of my reaction. I threw that little box with the spider in it across the room, and to this day I don't know where that spider went! That was the end of my computer time that day...for all I knew that horrid creature was hiding under some papers on the desk waiting till I was unprepared before he crept out again! I mention that because I went to Christy for sympathy and got absolutely none! She laughed and laughed, and I daresay she set him up to it for all I know! She loved to play tricks on people, especially in the earlier years. Steve remembers sitting in the hot tub in the back of the house, and suddenly a bucket of cold water would splash down on them (probably followed by gleeful laughter!). She often played tricks on a neighbour friend (Susan Parenteau) as well as others.

In later years, Christy became less "fun" as she experienced difficulties and increasing poor health, but our relationship deepened and we became close friends. The thing I miss the most is our phone chats when we would talk for sometimes over an hour and share what was on our hearts. In the first few months after her death I sorely missed this. Now, it is possible to look over this blog and remember her as she was...standing at the kitchen sink preparing fruit salad on Sunday afternoons, seeing her delight when the grandchildren came over, her happiness while tending her garden or talking to a friend about the Lord, and her sunny smiles across the meeting room which seemed to brighten the whole place up! But we'll have to wait until we reach heaven to see her radiant beaming face! Can't wait to see her amazing joy and perfect happiness as we are reunited in the presence of our Lord! :)