Grace and Beauty

 

This week marks a year since a wonderful woman left this family.  Waynes Mom died last year.  This morning I found this letter I had written to her I think a year before that.  I post it today as a memorial to her,  to comfort myself, and her kids and to keep her memory and example alive in all of us who knew her, and also to spark interest in and an example of,  living in Strength and Beauty and Grace.

To my mom-in-law
I guess this is as good a time as any, maybe better, to share with you something I experienced when we were with you at the hospital;
First of all, I was surprised to learn that you are in pain with your back most of the time.  I didn't know that and I don't know how you could be silent on that point.  I usually feel the need to express my pain, I guess to provide an excuse for my shortcomings as a housekeeper or something like that.  I also learned that you had dealt with this abdominal pain in silence for almost too long.  I admire this about you, your strength and solidness.  (But please don't do it again :)  As you lay there in that hospital bed, never once did you complain about the bed.  I have lain in them myself and know that I would have been trying to get a better position; knees up, knees down, head up, feet up, fix the pillow, no fix it again.
But you just bore whatever discomfort with grace.  And that is what I want to say to you the most if I just knew how.  In your frailty, with all the years lived, the hardships and disappointments endured, the sadness's experienced, at this time in your life I saw beauty on your face.  I saw grace.  I saw the love and concern of your friends and family for you.  That is a result of a life lived well, unselfishly.  I just wanted to tell you that you are an inspiration to me to remember that when I look in the mirror and see age and wrinkles and gray, that those things do not matter.  I want to live life so that others will see in me what I saw in you as you lay there in the hospital bed; grace and beauty.