Safely Home

Dear Ed,

Son, Husband, Father, Brother, Uncle, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, Friend

How we do miss you!  You have been gone from us four years now. Not a day goes by that we don't speak of you, remember you, think of you. You left behind much to remind us of you. The things you said. The things you did. The things you made. 

You were a man of few words, but your actions made a deeper impact on us than any amount of words could have.

Ed and Amber

You were kind, soft spoken and gentle. Did you ever utter an unkind word about anyone? If you did, we did not hear them.

Today, when we speak of you, we are finally able to let some of the memories of your suffering slip away. We are more able to remember you the way you were, before your illness. We see you smiling your big, toothy grin! We hear you laugh and see the twinkle in your eyes.

Me and Ed, with his prayer quilt.

And it brings us much comfort knowing you are with our Lord, waiting for us, surely saving us a seat near you. Because that is what you would do. You would see us coming, and pat the seat beside you, to draw us near to you. 

 

Mama, Ed and Bo (December 2007)

Safely Home

I am home in Heaven, dear ones; 

Oh, so happy and so bright!

There is perfect joy and beauty

In this everlasting light.

All the pain and grief is over,

Every restless tossing passed;

I am now at peace forever,

Safely home in Heaven at last.

Me, Mama, Ed, Bo, Bobby December 2007

Did you wonder I so calmly

Trod the valley of the shade?

Oh! but Jesus' love illumed

Every dark and fearful glade.

And He came Himself to meet me

In that way so hard to tread;

And with Jesus' arm to lean on,

Could I have one doubt or dread?

Bobby, Mama, Ed, Bo, Me (December 2008)

Then you must not grieve so sorely,

For I love you dearly still:

Try to look beyond earth's shadows,

Pray to trust our Father's Will.

There is work still waiting for you,

So you must not idly stand; 

Do it now, while life remaineth-

You shall rest in Jesus' land.

Jess, Mama, Me, Ed and Amber (November 2009)

When that work is all completed,

He will gently call you Home:

Oh, the rapture of that meeting,

Oh, the joy to see you come!

Author Unknown

(Catholic Prayer Card given to me by my Aunt Judy Glass, 

who is not Catholic, but works at a Catholic School)

Bo and Ed. Summer 2009. Bo shaved his head to match Ed's!

Happy Birthday Ed!

March 28, 2014 would have been Ed's 68th birthday. 

We used to celebrate with a cake and ice cream, maybe a meal, and some gifts. 

Ed was always teasing me that I was trying to 'catch up' with him when I had my birthday a couple of weeks before his, and I'd tease back that he would have a birthday to stay just ahead of me.

Most of the time, we would celebrate his birthday and Jessica's birthday together, as they were only one day a part. He would tease her and call her his 'girlfriend'. 

I am thankful to God that Ed got to celebrate 64 birthdays. Now, he celebrates in Heaven. I cannot even imagine how wonderful that must be!

Almost 4 years...

Mama and Ed. Early 80's I believe.

It has been almost four years since Ed, my step dad died from a cancerous brain tumor. 

Four years ago, I didn't think I would ever get over this. I was right.

But time does bring some healing with it.

This past year has been very hard for me, but when I compare it to what he went through, my 'bad year' was a piece of cake.

When I think of Ed, I think of all the good things he did, what a good person he was, how no one has an unkind word to say about him. And I am happy.

I am happy to have had him for my step dad. I am happy he got to live a pretty long life, though each year I find myself saying, he died so young. I am happy he was 'saved'. I am happy to have reminders in my home of him. I am happy to see the cardinals which make me feel like he is sending good messages. I am happy for my certainty of where he is now.

It has been almost four years since Ed left us. He left us, and yet, he is still here.