It’s been three weeks since my mom passed away and while it is still so difficult to believe I am getting stronger and better at dealing with the grief and sadness. It’s just hard. Anyone who has lost a parent understands. Anyone that has lost both parents REALLY understands. Your world shifts and you are the one left behind to leave the legacy.
I have shared often on It’s Just Life the many wonderful things that my parents left behind for us — documents, pictures, memories. They are the things that I am clinging to and this week I looked at one of the many scrapbooks that my mom kept. Oh if only I was as disciplined as she was to document things and keep records.
I found this page in this scrapbook that made me giggle a little bit.
The first part is the official invitation from my Daddy to my mom for a Honeymoon Preview. to the “Hills of Ohio”. I loved my dad’s sense of humor. “Dress – Yes! Start dressed up but take jeans.”
My mom responded with an equally witty response with conditions including: no chaperones, no two arms driving (was that so he could hold her hand?), plenty of “lovin’, the preview is short and the honeymoon long. Sweet. And of course she stipulated that he was to spend the evening prior to their departure in a Dittus beauty rest bed. Her maiden name was Dittus.
Included on the page was a map of the area they visited and a hand written description.
The love that my parents shared was evident and this cute little exchange made me smile seeing that love that grew over the years. How happy they were and what a great life they had together for so many years. Somehow finding this made me feel a little more settled about her death knowing that they are reunited again.
As always, thank you for letting me share with you some of my journey through grief. It is indeed a journey and I am grateful to all who have sent cards, gifts and messages of support and love. I am so very appreciative of all of that. Each day it gets a little bit easier and I am so grateful for scrapbooks and photos, bunnies and things that remind me of her every single day.
10 Comments
Leave a commentOh what a treasure! Thanks for sharing Beth Ann. You know how your blog has “Teapot Tuesday”, etc? Well, can you please start a “Scrapbook Day?’ I don’t mean to be nosy, but I’d love it if you shared more!
This is so sweet and it made me smile. Finding treasures like this is simply amazing and I hope truly bring you some peace.
How special that you have this to remind you of your parents love for each other. So cute. These things certainly help as you grieve. Sending hugs. xo
Very cute memories for you to have!
That’s like getting a big ole hug from both of them. I’m glad you sat with it for awhile. It’s also wonderful to have parents’ handwriting to keep. So much of them is wound through the pages, it’s a wonderful keepsake.
This is simply the sweetest. Thank you for sharing these love “letters” with us. They are beautiful and what a blessing to have them. Love you, my friend.
Oh to go back to the day that people took the time to preserve precious memories for their families. Your family left such wonderful memories for your family to treasure thru time. What a perfect tool to help to easy your pain at this time in your life, Beth Ann. Many years ago when Chuck & I married I started what I call the Keepsake Box. A place to keep items that have a lot of meaning for us over the years. Things our daughter make. grandsons, cards, letter, etc. To date we have a trunk full and a big wicker box. I pray when we are gone and they open these treasures they will feel our love for them flowing out. Just as your parents did for they children.
So sweet! Love that you have this keepsake!
Oh how clever and sweet! I know this is a treasure to you, and I can see that it would ease your pain of losing her – knowing they are together again, never to be separated.
What lovely mementoes for you to have from your parents’ life of love together. I can imagine how much those things give comfort to you. <3