In Memoriam

Today was my grandmother's birthday. She passed away two years ago, yet it feels so fresh. Today's entry is dedicated to her, so here is a little something she wrote. She remains in the forefront of my mind and probably always will in some form or another; every time I write, I think of her and how I wish she could read my work and tell me what she thinks.

To think she wrote this about my dad and uncle makes her life lesson even dearer to my heart.

The Most Important Lesson I've Learned in my Life
By Maurine Davis

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my life is to love each and every day as if it was the last day I'd have on this earth.

My husband and I lived on the second floor of my in-laws' frame house. I had six children at this particular time and was expecting twins. I was always anemic along with very low blood pressure and this created a grave problem. All the other expecting mothers in the group gained some weight, while I constantly lost weight. I began to look like a broomstick with an old fashioned #2 tin tub attached in the middle. Every time I came down the stairs, my mother-in-law would almost have a heart attack. She thought I would fall over on my face and thus cause a catastrophe.

To make bad matters worse, my blood count dropped so low they almost couldn't take a count. To keep a closer check on the problem, I had to go to the hospital every other day. This really became a chase. I would go by myself but had to call home for someone to come and pick me up. To add to my problems, the doctors told me they didn't see how I was going to make it.

At this point, I began to reflect back upon my life so far. I hadn't done anything so far to speak of, hadn't been anywhere or seen too much. It all seemed so blank. However, I had only one hope and that was the Almighty God. If he would see fit to let me live to see my children grow up, I would be forever grateful. And in case he didn't, I asked for my uncle and his wife to take all of my children, raise them, and keep them all together.

So the twins were born! I didn't die and I named that hereafter I would love each and every day to the absolute fullest, for tomorrow may never come.

So true. She was one of the busiest women I knew who never had enough hours in her day. My grandmother lived her life to the fullest and traveled the world; she was making travel plans before he died. Maurine Davis was truly an exemplary woman, and I can only dream to follow her lead.