Special Moments

Sometimes a moment happens in this world that we can never prepare ourselves for. That moment came for me yesterday. Papaw was laid to rest yesterday. No, he's not related to me by blood, but that never mattered. He always accepted me and was always the kindest man. It also helps to see the love and genuine respect he gets from absolutely everyone he meets. He is a sepcial man who will truly be missed, but there is more to this than that.
Sometime in the afternoon, Jan asked me to go back to Granny's room to see if she was sleeping or not. 
Granny was awake when I checked in on her. She saw me there and speechlessly, I stepped further into the room. I was suddenly like the little kid who got caught stealing from the cookie jar. After 17 years around this family, I know my place with her. As all spouses of the grandkids, we are accepted but always an outsider. I moved on tentatively.
"I was just checking to see if you need anything," I stammered as I walked in the room.
As she reached for me she said, "I love you, Kim" and pulled me into a tight embrace. I have never heard her say that before, and I didn't know how to respond. I cannot even start to express the love I felt in that very moment. Rare to see me at a lack of words, but there I was without them.
"Those babies so love their Papaw," she said.
"We all do Granny."
"What am I going to do without him?"
As the tears came, I held on tight and reassured her that Papaw is watching out for her and that one day, a long time from now she will be reunited with him. My heart broke as I thought of the 60 years together and how very lost this strong woman must be feeling.
I spent the next ten minutes holding the one woman who I had always thought hated me in my arms as she clung tight to me needing a reassurance that I hadn't expected to be the one to make.
We talked about how Papaw was no longer no longer in pain and was always a very patient man. We talked about the sweet rest he would have in Heaven and how he is in better hands now. We talked about how he is forever in her heart and would wait for her to catch up. We held each other so tight and so long that I could feel her ache.
I know her pain. I know her loss. But no one can ever understand losing your one true love until they go through it. I knew I couldn't even start to touch that pain, so at that moment I said the one thing that laid on my heart. I looked in her eyes and told her that we all are nothing without God. Moving forward can only be done in His strength and in His time. We hugged really tight once again before I told her to try to rest before leaving the room.
I will never forget that moment with her and today, I pray for her loss and her forward motion as she tries to face each day without the love of her life.
We don't know how she will move forward at this point, but God gives us strength of heart just when we need it most. I know He is with her, and that gives me comfort. Friends, hug someone today. Give them a smile. Tell them that even if they are completely lost in this world, God loves them. And be that example of God's love..be the Christian He wants you to be.