Book Ends

Several of you asked about the rainbow that visited us on Tuesday morning after mom left us. Dad is sure that it was a message from Mom to us that she made it to the other side safely. I'm posting 3 pictures of it below.

The story that goes with it is this. I woke up at 6 am. If you know me, you know that doesn't happen. I could tell by the light coming in my window that the sun was rising, and I thought it would be crazy to get out of bed, and go see it. When I looked to the East, I saw what must have been the most beautiful sunrise ever. The images and hues formed by the clouds were dazzling. So I ran back inside to get my camera. I'm including a couple of samples here. After I was satisfied with the shots, I turned to go back inside. All of a sudden, I saw the most beautiful rainbow...in the West! I don't remember ever seeing a rainbow in the West, especially in the morning, when there was no rain. So I took some pictures. It was amazing, because the rainbow ended right at Mom & Dad's house. I got on the ATV and drove closer and closer, stopping several times to take pictures. Rainbows never last forever, and this one was no exception. When it started vanishing, it left all but the little bit you see in the 3rd picture, right over their house.

By the time I got close to the house, I saw Dad over by the barn. He had waken up early and gone down to the barn, and happened to step out just as the rainbow appeared. Then I saw Leslie gingerly walking barefooted down the road towards Dad. Apparently he called Leslie and woke her up, and told her to call and wake me up, too. Once we all saw each other, he called me over and we looked in awe at the rainbow together. Then Dad invited us to have breakfast with him, and said he wanted to show us something that Mom left for us.

When we got back to the house, he took us back into his room to reveal a lot of stuff spread out all over the bed. He had waken up early (ahem, really early) and couldn't get something out of his head. Mom had told him, "Make sure you get what I left you all in this dresser." He had already taken from the top drawer a notepad where Mom had written some final letters to us, but he realized that he hadn't looked in the bottom drawer. What a treasure he found! Mom had gone and hand-selected a lot of memorabilia from all the scrapbooks, photo collections, and shoe boxes full of post cards, letters, and things we'd written each other over the years. To me, this was the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Of course, no one could have prepared our hearts for the stunning and beautiful rainbow the night of her memorial party. Breathtaking! If you have pictures of that one, please post a comment to let me know how to contact you.

After the long week, before everyone returned to their homes in Texas and Spain, we all gathered together to pray and thank God for all that He had done for us. We told Him that we took these two rainbows, one in the East and one in the West, like book ends for a good and noble library, to be His promise that we would indeed have safe passage and be reunited, no matter what ocean or great abyss separated us.

Mom's Rainbow

Mom's rainbow

Mom's rainbow

Finis Terræ

When Mom and Dad went to Spain last summer, they visited Finis Terræ, the westernmost point in the Old World, where an ancient Roman lighthouse still stands to mark the end of the earth—in Latin, finis terræ. In its day it truly was the end of the world—beyond here a frontier-seeking soul could go no further without letting go and trusting her life to God, and even that only with a worthy vessel for the voyage. Beyond this point was the dominion of death and mystery.

Since that day, many have traveled beyond the end of the world and returned to tell about the New World on the other side. Some even settled it. As I give my world globe a spin, it is hard for me to imagine the futility and finality of such an end—a very real end—of their world. But then, the people of that age were limited not as much by their lack of science and technology as their vision.

And how like us today. We watched Mom slip away, past the end of our world and over the horizon, and we cried as she launched out into the domain of death and mystery, beyond our reach, where we could not follow. Beyond here, her frontier-seeking soul let go and trusted her life to God. I have to wonder how those of the new heaven and the new earth view what is to us the futility and finality of such an end—a very real end—of our world, limited by our science and technology and most of all our vision. My guess is that in part they see us a little like we see the Ancients—it is interesting to us, but in the end there is nothing to be done about their limited vision. They only knew what they knew, and so they had to go on living out their part in the Great Story the best they could, hoping that at the end of their role, they too would find a new home among the angels.

Mom’s hope was more than wishful thinking. She heard and believed the words of Jesus who has already been there and back again. He said to her, “In My Father’s house are many dwellings; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” Yes, she made it to her new home. Her Vessel was worthy. And though we stand now at the end of our world, looking longingly for her face over the deep, we know that finis terræ is not the end at all—we too will join her someday at her new home, and she will have the most beautiful garden bathed in rainbows waiting to receive us.

Memorial Service

The memorial service for Mom will be at the First United Methodist Church in Stephenville at 5:30 PM on Thursday, July 28th. Click here for a map and directions. There will be a private family burial preceding this.

We look forward to seeing you and celebrating Mom's life on Thursday!

Flowers and Memorials

Some of you are asking about flowers or donations. Mom asked that in lieu of flowers you send memorials to one of the following charities, or to a charity of your choice.

Hospitality Apartments Foundation (building fund)
P.O. Box 25213
Houston, TX 77265-5213

First United Methodist Church Foundation (for the new building)
422 W Washington St.
Stephenville, TX 76401

We are working on plans for the memorial service, and we will post updates when we have the details worked out. We anticipate that it will be either Thursday or Friday this week.

Home at Last

At last Mom is free of melanoma and pain. At 8:30 tonight, Mom went to sleep in this world and woke up in heaven. Of course we're thrilled for her to be in the presence of Jesus Christ, but it doesn't make it any easier for the rest of us. What a beautiful life we have to celebrate, though.

But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

We know many of you want to know what you can do to help. We will let you know soon. Thank you for what you have already done. Thank you especially for your prayers. We have felt them.

Muster

We had quite a few people in and out today. Hospice has been by to help make mom more comfortable and to show us how to do that, too. Mom was having trouble keeping some of the medicine down, so she got a pain patch that seems to be working well. But the most comforting thing of all today is...Leslie got back from Lubbock! She has brightened up the whole place.

My family and I have basically moved to Stephenville and taken over the guest house. (We even had friends come and meet us for Pizza in town.) It's great to have the family together, and great to know our friends are out there praying, thinking, and expressing your interest in mom and the rest of us. We have been blessed by your comments on this blog, too.

-Steve

It's A Quality Life

Dr. Nemunaitis called from Baylor yesterday afternoon to explain that mom couldn’t be in the study. Apparently the committee was unwilling to budge on the tumors in her brain, even though they had been treated and were eliminated or in check. This was, needless to say, disappointing. He did offer that there was another study starting in the latter part of August done by Dr. Fay, but because of the delay, that wasn’t very comforting. Dr. Fay’s office called and talked to dad about it today, and mom is on the list. They also said that things open up on a day’s notice, so to remain hopeful and ready.

Mom and dad had talked about this phone call in advance and were at peace with whatever Baylor’s answer would be. In fact, mom is at peace with everyone and everything, ready to let go of whatever God doesn’t have for her, and it’s ok. So we’re not planning on any trips to Mexico or Houston, and not looking for any new chemotherapy or alternative medicines. If something like the dendrite vaccine opens up suddenly at Baylor, mom will give it a shot, but for now, we are just going to take one day at a time, try to give mom the best quality of life possible, and enjoy our time together. We have had some rich family time in the last few days and weeks, and want to continue that.

Again, it’s great to know she is loved by such a great community. I think about It’s a Wonderful Life when all George Bailey’s friends come in to amaze him with their support. The advantage mom has is that she knows she’s not alone.