Monday, May 16, 2011

Respectfully...Dot

May 10, 2011

I am sitting in the middle of a grassy field, on a farm, in Tuscany, Italy. It should be a wonderful place to be, except for today I walked out to this field, away from my Terr and his family, with whom we are traveling, to try and comfort my heavy heart so that I might go on with my day.


You see, sometime in the middle of my night, being Monday morning for my Tennessee family, my beloved Aunt Dot died. Oh, she was 85 years old ( just celebrated her birthday with a glorious party on May 3rd), she was a good woman, always positive and happy, she had great kids who took special care of her, she got so much enjoyment from books, the Braves and a TV show called, "Murder She Wrote", she played music, loved Jesus... and she loved me too.

Oh, how terribly sad I feel.

She took me in as a baby because my sister, Betty, was already taken and she had none of her own, yet. I will never forget the creative treasure hunts, the grasshopper song she taught me to play on the piano and the telling of her stories.  (She always told the story about me, as a little girl saying, "I don't know where is'em?")

Aunt Dot gave me scriptures over the years that I have marked in my bible with her name. More recently she promised to pray with me, each night for my Kate's safety. I counted on it and I know for sure that she did.

She will be buried on Thursday and I am wandering around Italy, away from those who loved her.  Oh, I am fully aware that she is happy to be in heaven but I also know that she would want us to support Susan and John, their spouses and her grandchildren. My comfort is; as, I knew her heart, she knew mine...and she knew, for sure, that I loved her. I'll be home soon.

Good bye, Aunt Dot, (or should I say arrivederci, Zia Dot) look out for me too, will you?

Merry

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

You did just what she would have wanted you to do. Walk out in that field and think of the things you knew and talked about with her.
I hope she did not have to miss a
Braves game, or Murder She Wrote,
or All My Children.
She looked 65 and beautiful, not a wrinkle and so peaceful/ I told Mike I wanted him to iron my face as well as he did hers. Guess I will have to tell Bubba.

Beth said...

I am so sorry to hear of your Aunt Dot's passing. I can tell how much she meant to you and I'm sure she knew how much she was loved in return.

I'm thinking of you and all of her family.

Love,
Beth

juju said...

Sweet memories of our Aunt Dot. She was a unique and special women. I, like you will miss her! Miss you, Judy

fweakijam said...

Thank you Beth for your sweet words and Judy for being my second heart that knows and feels all that I know and feel...and Mama, please say around for a while so I can gather more memories for my memory banks and strengen my heart for the future.

Good women are the glue that holds me together.

Family said...

I look in the mirror daily and think about how much I'm looking like my mama. ..life doesn't get richer than having a beautiful mother to look like--and it doesn't get any richer than having other women in your life to make a difference for eternity. And I think that's what Dot gave to you. A beautiful women who had a beautiful heart--willing to share it with her niece. What a life to celebrate.
I love you. Kim