The Faces of Love

I am weary but again feel compelled to sit at the keyboard. I expect many of my blog entries in the next while will echo the sorrow of loosing my Mom. There is grieving to do and it will unfold and take shape as I drag my weary self into the next weeks and months. This morning as I scrolled through my FB feed I came upon the picture of two of the most precious women in my life. Their smiles, their eyes, the tilt of their heads were the same. One a grandmother, the other a beloved granddaughter on her wedding day. As the mother of one and daughter of the other I can look deeply into the faces in that picture and feel the love. I recall making the phone call to tell that grandmother a baby girl had been born. I also recall my mother standing at the window watching as we drove or rather as the tractor pulled our truck up the driveway in a blizzard so we could take the trip to the hospital the April night that baby girl was born. I also recall that grandmother's reaction as the big brother announced a second baby was due." Don't be ridiculous" was the quote that became a famous one in our family. The practical grandmother doubted our wisdom to have a second child while still living in a small shed, with dreams of building our forever house on the property Burton's father had given him so he could fulfill his dream of having a farm. Oh boy I'm diving deep in the emotional pool this morning. Back to the faces and the love these two women held for one another.On this my granddaughter's birthday I think of my attempt to be the kind of grandmother my Mom was to my daughter.The devotion of time, of worry , of concern ,unconditional love and caring interest was constant.I see all that in my mother's eyes as she stands beside her granddaughter . Mom's speech had already faltered and her words were not plenty that day but she was beaming with pride and happiness.We filled picture boards for display at the funeral parlor. The photographs exist as evidence of the years of love and devotion. Compiling those photographs reminded me of the importance of taking(and printing) pictures especially in our smartphone digital age, but more importantly it made me think of the value of making lasting memories with those we love.These are my thoughts on this particular day as I receive news of the birth of a new great niece and speak on the phone to my seven year old granddaughter before she heads out the door for school on her birthday day. A legacy of family and love will keep this tired body going and propel me ahead. Oh and my nine year old granddaughter is reading The Sewing Basket. How thrilling to hear her reflections as she discovers the familiar in those pages.The many faces of love.