Paste board boxes…

Our family shares a story of a 14 year old girl named Kathy.

She was “porch dating” a young man named Jim for a few months when her mother told him she was going to send her and her 2 younger brothers to a foster home.

Jim met her parents at the courthouse the next day at noon and they were married.

Over fifty years go by. Along came 5 children, followed by 20 grandkids and now 6 great grandbabies. Her life was blessed.

She started out unloved and unwanted and left this world so much better than she found it.

Jim says they had no furniture in their first house and she used “paste board” boxes for furniture.

She was so young when they got married that she was scared to stay by herself. She would leave all of the lights on and the doors open and hide in the closet until he got home from work.

When her first two boys came along, she began to go to church. She said she could not raise them without God’s help.

I have no doubt his help arrived.

I have had the privilege to be her daughter in law for fifteen years.

For that, I am so very thankful.

We all are.

We spent the last few weeks surrounding her. She was not given any hope as her life began to leave her.

But sparks of life continued to bless us.

Heartache was present. But it was never outweighed by the whispers of “I love you”.

I have never witnessed anything more difficult or more beautiful.

If you ever have any doubt about direction in your life, choose love.

When all else fails, it prevails.

And it never ends.

Well done Kathy Dean. Well done.

No more Parkinson’s. No more pain. No more paste board boxes.

I will miss you dearly. We all will Maw Maw.

I love love love you,

Cheryl