I can remember it so clearly.  Looking back, it was just a few short years ago.  My youngest daughter, at five years old, was dressed in her little cap and gown, surrounded by all of her family as she prepared to “graduate” from Kindergarten.  Oh, she was smiling proudly as she walked with the rest of her class down the aisle to take her seat beside the stage.  We watched her look around to steal a glance at us just to check to be sure we were looking at her, and we were.  She would smile shyly, turn away, and do it all over again moments later.   When her name was called, she walked across the stage to accept her diploma.  She was such a big girl graduating from her Kindergarten class at this Christian school and going into First Grade!

My grandma was there to watch as this all unfolded before her.   This was a special treat as she did not often attend such functions with our family.  We were blessed to have her with us that day.

We stood as the graduating class exited the sanctuary.  These little people with such bright futures ahead of them were all smiling and laughing as they playfully walked along twirling their tassel on their cap or fidgeting with their diplomas.   The parents waded through the crowd of people to find their children tucked securely in a classroom with what seemed like millions of little flashing lights.  These precious little ones were posing for cameras every where!  I had to get in there to get a few shots myself!  They were having the best time!  After a few more serious pictures of the class together and many more not so serious pictures, we gathered our things and made our way back through the crowd to where my parents were waiting with my oldest daughter and my grandma.

With outstretched arms, my youngest daughter ran into her granddaddy’s awaiting arms.  He has such a bond with both of my girls, and it means so much to have my parents actively involved in my children’s lives.  They know that they can always count on their grandparents to be there.  That day, my youngest daughter beamed brighter than the moon and stars with my grandma, her great-grandma, present as well.   She turned to her great-grandma and gave her a shy smile as my grandma scooped her up in a warm embrace and kissed her on the cheek.  My grandma would bend down so that she was closer to my daughter’s height to look her square in the eyes as she would talk to her.  She would get really close and hug on her some more.   My mom watched with a smile on her face and then she, too, took turns with my grandma on loving on both of my daughters.

We took a lot of pictures that afternoon, and I treasure every one.   Little did we know at that time that a few short years later we would lose my grandma.  Up until that point, my grandma was strong and independent.  She was in her 80s, but she loved actively working in her yard, messing with her flowers, and even cutting her own grass.   She went in for a routine surgery, and two years later she was still struggling from what should have been a simple procedure.  More complications arose, and sadly, she lost her will to fight.  My grandmother slipped away in the wee morning hours on March 3, 2013.  While it was a sad day in our lives, we know that she was not suffering any longer.  She’s in Heaven with Jesus now.   Although tears of sadness filled our eyes, spilling out and down onto our cheeks, she was celebrating with her Lord and Savior.

All of these memories came flooding back today when my dad entered my house with a box tucked under his arm.   He placed this brown box on the table and said that it contained items that we had given to my grandma through the years.   My heart sank as he continued by saying that he thought we would like to have them back.  I knew that I could not look in that box at that moment, so I waited until after he left.   I studied the box for a while before I finally approached it.  I drew in a deep breath and then opened the box.  Oh the tears that fell like rain and the sorrow that washed over me as I took each item from the box one by one and placed them on the table before me.  

My little box of treasures consisted of pictures, CDs, devotional books, cards, etc.  My grandma even saved a red heart shaped pillow that I made for her in Home Economics back in 1981.  I did not even remember making that pillow until I saw it today, and those memories of sitting at the sewing machine came rushing back to me.   She wrote on the side of this pillow, “My Shirley gave me her heart.”  I choke back tears even writing that now.  

My grandma would write a note on the back of pictures, cards, anything that you gave her really.  It seemed odd at first when I realized that she was doing this when she was still here, but now that she’s gone, we treasure every stroke of her pen.   Oh how we miss her so!

At the bottom of this box was a picture from my youngest daughter’s Kindergarten graduation.   I remember giving this to my grandma inside a picture frame that said, “Memories Are Made Of Moments Like This.”  I gave this to her to thank her for being there for my daughter that day.   Now today, this gift was given back to me along with the reminder of the memories we made.   Even though my grandma passed away a little over a year ago, she has blessed me today with re-living that moment in time through these pictures.   I can hardly see the screen as I type these words for the tears that are constantly falling.   It’s a bitter sweet moment as I think back on the time spent with her now that she’s gone.  I do treasure every moment with her and only wish there had been more.

If you still have your loved ones here on this earth with you, let them know how much you love them.   Spend time with them often!   Share the love that you have in your heart with them.  A lot of times people are so afraid to reveal their true feelings for others.  They hide it or it is as if there is a little piece of themselves that is reserved in the corners of their hearts for their loved ones that they just do not ever speak of to them.  Please don’t hide it any longer.  Speak those words of love, share it, and bless your loved ones.   Treasure and cherish every moment with them … because these moments will become a memory that you will cling to in the future.