Growing Up

Dear Henry, 

Mommy has been neglecting your blog but not you... Normally when I get behind it is because of day to day life of laundry, dishes, sweeping, playing and all that stuff... this time it is different.  On the 23rd Mommy's Aunt Judy, Grandma P's sister, died unexpectantly.  She had been battling an equilibrium with mental illness since about the time Mommy went to college but recently full blown diabetes and finding out she had breast cancer about 2 months ago had made her weaker.   We had just visited with her about 2 weeks prior.  Great Aunt Judy was weak from the treatments but in no way looking like she was close to the end.  She was a fiesty lady and fought with Mamaw Goins so I thought to myself how great she was doing!  

It hit all of us like brick.  I helped my cousin Rick and his wife Lynn, Grandma P, and Uncle Gary to clean out her apartment.  Mommy really loved Aunt Judy and felt compelled to write something to say at the funeral.  I knew other family memembers wouldn't be able to... I'm not sure that I was able to...but I stuffed down my sadness for a bunch of days so that I could get through it.  Now it hits me in waves.  The hidden charm of it was family did all get to be together during this holiday, but we were really missing our Judy.

Aunt Judy was the first family member Mommy told that we were going to adopt a child.  Not prone to crying my strong Aunt Judy burst into tears and held me saying she was so happy and that we'd be great parents.  When we brought you home she was anxious to meet you and had started making you one of her signature embroidered quilts.  The last day I saw my aunt she cuddled you and followed you around the room talking.  You gave her big smiles and showed off your cruising skills.  She said how beautiful she thought you were and how happy she was we stopped in to visit.  She put her copy of your fall photo smack in the middle of her TV cabinet.


You will never know Aunt Judy directly.  She is iconic.  You will undoubtedly know her indirectly. Another of her signatures was she use to peel us potatoes and make us homemade french fries.  We all call them Judy fries.  Tonight you had your first as Daddy and I said a little thing and ate about 5!!! potatoes worth of Judy fries.  

(she is in the gray shirt on the right one in from Grandma P)

I can't believe she is gone.  Losing people we love is unavoidable.  As we grow older more and more of our love ones will leave.  Mommy has faith that we will all meet again someday free of pain or restrictions.  For now, there will always be a place for stories of Aunt Judy so those who are too young will know her too.  While you will have no memory of her I'm grateful for the couple of memories I will have of her with you.
Love, Mommy