Oh, friends. What a week. Grief is such a flirtatious thing. Gripping you as it does, and then letting you go, only to take hold once again. Here and there. With each day, we are looking around and realizing that our family is here, there is beauty around us, and that we can start to let go. Losing such a dear old friend is just never fun, but we are able to share little stories about her. The kids can say things like, "Oh, that was weird. I just walked up to open the front door, and Selma wasn't there barking." Noticing the shifts. Seeing that it's okay, even though it's not the same. Trusting that God is always creating something new.
We made yeast waffles this weekend (with some homemade wild blueberry syrup: delicious!), and they were a huge hit. I love that you can just let them rise in the fridge over night, because I am a major breakfast fan, but with a house full of children, you just can't endeavor on a breakfast project that requires an hour long rise in the morning. I am actually feeling optimistic about making these during the week sometimes.
Valentines flowers are lingering on mantles and counters, still looking beautiful, although a bit tired. Roses and tulips. So lovely.
We celebrated Omi's birthday earlier this week. Omi, Ben's mom, is so lovely, kind, and giving. Truly an example of Christ to those around her. Oh, and she happens to be gluten free, which inspires us to attempt new gluten free recipes. After the store was out of almond flour, we went back to our old standby gluten free carrot cake, which I think turned out pretty well (the trick is not undercooking it, I've learned! I err on the side of overcooking this recipe).
Which reminds me, did I ever mention Clara and Dorothy's middle names? Clara Gabriele and Dorothy Eva. Named for Ben's mom and mine, both beautiful, strong, faithful women who have created quite a legacy for themselves. We are very close to both of them, and as luck would have it, they are both very involved in our childrens' lives. And they are also good friends with one another, which is a beautiful thing. We have discussed using both of their names as first or middle names for children before, but it has always come down to this: we just couldn't choose one over the other, and didn't want to seem like we were picking a favorite grandma. Who wants to create jealousy upon the naming of a child? And yet we love both of their names. When we found out we were having twins (identical twins!) we immediately knew their middle names. Before picking their first names. Two grandmas, two sweet little girls who are exactly the same. Zosia has taken to calling them "Dorothy Baba" and "Clara Omi."
(that last picture is my mom with Dorothy from several weeks ago. Looking at it makes me realize just how much those babies have grown!)
5 comments:
Your name selection is so sweet, Adele! God knew you needed to special girls for those names, so he delivered:) I laugh because we have three sets of parents (mine are divorced) and we are both only children. So when we were trying to get pregnant for the first time, I "joked" that we had to at least have three children so each set of parents would have a grandchild to hold...and God sent us TRIPLETS.
Grief is just odd. And it's tricky. Just when I think with relief that I'm way ahead of all those other widows, who seem to be crying all the time on Facebook, I dissolve into a fit of weeping again. There's no way out but through it, though, so good luck to you!
That is such a great story about the triplets! God just couldn't bear to see a disappointed set of grandparents. ;).
Melissa, I have thought of you countless times. We have been grieving a (much beloved) pet. I can't begin to imagine losing a spouse. Know that you have my prayers. Impossible as it may seem, God is always creating something new.
Adele, those pictures of Selma that you posted spoke volumes. I especially loved the one of Selma sitting. Sitting. SITTING!!! at attention and looking at the new baby (whoever it was) while Ben looked sideways at her skeptically. She knew that the baby was somebody new in the family, somebody for her to love and protect, and of course Ben didn't know yet how she would respond. That snapshot really shows a wonderful facet of your family. It is so natural that Selma leaves a huge hole in your lives, and it's natural and even good for you to grieve your loss. God has taught you a difficult lesson. {{{Collinses}}}
God does always create anew, even when we can hardly believe that anything good can happen. Praise Him!
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