70 in Heaven

Drafted in 2016

70 in Heaven

You would have been 70
on your birthday today.
But you got sick
and had to go away.

We would have had cake
and probably ice cream too.
We would have sung
Happy Birthday to You.

There would have been presents
for you to unwrap.
You would have smiled
while we laughed and clapped.

You would have been 70
on your birthday today.
But you got sick
and he took you away.

You would have been Papa
to more than just three.
There's one who is five
and one who is three.

When you left you left
a big whole in our heart.
Why did this happen?
Why are we apart?

God has his reasons,
we don't understand.
But we know He loves you more
than any of us can.

You would have been 70
on your birthday today.
We wish you were here,
We wish you could stay.

But Heaven gained an angel
on that sad but happy day,
You are 70 in Heaven,
Happy Birthday!

by Carolyn Chapple

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.

Photo Card

Initially Snowflake Christmas

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On the Brighter Side...

My brother found some pictures on his camera that he hadn't looked at or downloaded before. We had fun looking at the pics! I hope he doesn't mind me sharing some of these!

That's me! I got caught in the kitchen. Christmas 2008.

Ed and Bo - Close up!

Ed and my Uncle Larry. My mama's brother.

Ed and my Momma.

Siblings...Judy, Mert, Kathleen (mama) and Larry.

Terry and Bo - another close up! LOL!

The night before Amber and Chris' wedding - I missed out on this fun!

My family at Amber and Chris' wedding.

The photographer said tell your daughter a secret...hmmmmm. Must have been funny!

And finally...my brother's cat, Jack. He got his tail caught in the door and he had to have it amputated by a few inches. He had to wear a cone so he wouldn't amputate it further!

50/50

Ed, getting radiation early on in his disease.

I got a free movie rental code from Redbox today.

While in Walmart I decided to see if there was anything good to rent. I didn't really see anything, but then I saw this movie called 50/50. I got it. I mean, even if it's not good, it's free. So what's the big deal.

I had seen previews for this movie months ago. A guy finds out he has cancer. His dopey friend thinks he can use sympathy to pick up girls for them. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the main character (you know him - he's the kid on 3rd Rock from the Sun) and his side-kick is Seth Rogen. Ok, with that guy you know it's going to be a dopey movie!

Oh God. I didn't know.

I thought it was a comedy. And it is, partly. I mean, it does have some humorous parts to it.

But mostly, it's kind of real.

The shock of hearing those words. Tumor. Cancer. Chemotherapy.

The disbeleif.

The people in your life who say you can count on them. But you can't.

Shaving the head.

The loneliness of chemo for some...hose who don't have someone to be with them during the process.

People who believe it's about them. Not about the person with cancer.

Needles. MRI's. Surgeries.

Ups. Downs.

This movie has brought back a lot of things I try not to think about. Ed has only been gone two and half years. I know as I get older and more time goes by, certain details will get lost in the tangle of my brain. Some things I want to forget, some I don't, some I need to, some I can't. I hate crying over Ed, because I know he wouldn't want me to.

Lucky for me, this mostly, 'cute' movie, was not too depressing. It just made me remember. And lucky for me, this movie had an ending that didn't send me over the emotional edge.

I wish all cancer stories could have an ending like that.

Would I recommend this movie? Yes. Like I said, it's mostly cute. And if you've never seen anyone go through cancer, it probably won't effect you in a sad way. If you have seen someone go through it, it might help you release some pent up feelings. Maybe even a tear. And it will make you laugh a little too. I'll give it a thumbs up!