I remember

July 15, 2022

“I think of days gone by and remember years of long ago.” Psalm 77:5 GNT

It’s not that the grief is gone four months after losing my sister Carol fifteen months after losing Jane. I remember every day that I am the last “Findlay Girl” (sic) standing.

What I’ve noticed is that I’m also remembering more snippets of them alive and sharing those memories with others. Three weeks ago I sat next to my oldest granddaughter, Lily, on a bench as she ate a “double scoop with sprinkles on top in a waffle cone” ice cream cone. The heat of the day melted the ice cream faster than she could eat it. Ice cream dripped down the waffle cone onto her fingers and found its way down the front of her blouse. She was enjoying every last lick of that cone, the drips didn’t matter. I told her it reminded me of my sisters.

I remember sitting between my sisters on a different bench in a different place years ago. All three of us had ice cream cones that were melting and dripping and making a mess. We looked at each other, smiled and laughed at the shared experience, one which had been repeated since we were kids.

I remember the loss, and the blessed, messy, silly, sweet moments we shared. My sisters are gone; and in the midst of the grief they are also coming to life again in my memories.

Holy One, for the gift of remembering the days of long ago, I give thanks. ~ Anne