One Last Treasure

It didn't take very long at all after discovering that we were expecting another baby that our thoughts turned to Nana accompanied by the sense of hollowness at not being able to tell her the news, of knowing that she won't be here to hold this little one and cuddle her in her quiet, unassuming, unobtrusive way.  This baby will only know her from the photos and stories that we'll share with her.  We've talked several times about how even though McKinley won't have her Nana here with her in person, she is getting some great one on one time with her right now while she's waiting to make her appearance, and we've laughed about how if Nana has anything to do with it, McKinley will have a few tricks up her sleeves and a mischeivious twinkle in her eye too.  Among those thoughts and others, we both recognized that one of the things she won't have is a blanket made for her by her Nana.  Fast forward to last Monday, the day after Mother's Day.  I opened a box we got in the mail from Rebecca to find this blanket inside with a short note about it being a blanket for a girl grandbaby made by Nana.  It's a good thing the note was so short because I couldn't have read any further anyway.  I stood in the kitchen in shock with big ole fat tears running down my face, grateful for a sister-in-law so selfless to share one last treasure from her mother with us.  The story goes something like this:  Last summer while Rebecca was cleaning out the house she was going through a stack of quilts that Nana had made and came across this baby blanket.  She said she knew it wasn't for her, Jessica said she knew it wasn't for her, and Rebecca said she knew Nana had meant if for somebody and it must be meant for us.  So, she decided to put it in our box of things, but felt like she should take it home with her instead because she didn't know when we would be able to come get it.  None of us had an inkling last summer that a miracle was about to take place, but having been gone already almost two years somehow Nana had known and had made this quilt for our baby girl.  So typical of who she was and how in tune she always seemed to be with her family and things that truly mattered.  Two and half years after she left us, she is still blessing our lives, still letting us know that even though we cannot see her she is still right here with us.  How fortunate I feel to have been blessed with this extraordinary woman as the mother of my husband (whom I can see her reflection in daily), as my mother-in-law, and the grandmother of my children who also remind me of her almost daily in their looks and personalities.   I am so reminded by her of the words to the song "A Mother's Eyes Relfect the Love of Heaven" by Steven Jones:

"A mother's eyes reflect the love of heaven.
A love borne long before this life began.
A love which grows each day, which will not fade away,
A love inspired by Heavenly Father's plan.

A mother's hands reflect a life of service,
A life of sacrifice for those she loves,
And with her giving hands she shapes the soul of man,
Prepares him for eternal life above.

A mother's life reflects itself in our life,
Her ways of living are engrained in ours,
And through the changing years and days of joys and tears,
Her love will lead us on."