A Remarkable Moment

One of the very few pictures of Ida that we still have.

Ida was my husband’s paternal Grandmother. She passed away in the seventies, many years before I even began to dream about the remote possibility of living in the U.S. let alone marrying her grandson. Over the years, however, I’ve heard a lot about Ida and her love for the church which became my church, her house, which became my husband’s childhood home, for flowers and of the smell of lavender which constantly surrounded her. She’s always intrigued me. I have a feeling that I would have liked her, had I ever met her.

At any rate, the last night of my isolation period, which I spent at my Mother in Law’s, my husband’s childhood home, Ida's home, I was looking forward to the highlight of my days, dinner time! Every evening, at about 5pm or so, one of my dear Dinner Angels would show up with the most delicious meals ready for me to enjoy. I have to admit, I loved that aspect of being confined : ). Anyhow, on that last evening, my dear friend June, who used to be my neighbor up until very recently, called me to let me know it was her night to bring me supper. Shortly after I saw, not her, but her son Tim deliver it since it was not a nice night to be out in the weather ( I guess that made Tim sort of my Dinner “He” Angel that evening???).

As soon as he left, I rushed out to the front porch to pick up the awaited containers, then I saw there was also a note. I gathered everything and went inside, put the containers on the kitchen table and read the letter. June had typed precious words of encouragement and prayers for my recovery and for my boys. Then she added a p.s. written in her own hand writing: “the ham loaf recipe was given to me by Dan’s grandma, Ida. I’ve used it for years.”

I sat down, fork in hand…immersed in the silence of such a moment…

Then, I carefully opened the container and saw the wonderful-looking ham loaf sitting among golden scallop potatoes. I took a bite, and as it melted in my mouth, I could not help but thinking: this is truly one special moment…

There I was, sitting at what would have been Ida’s kitchen, eating her ham loaf, several decades after her passing from this world…a special moment, indeed…

I often worry and lament that my sons didn’t get to meet my Mother or Dan’s Father, but moments like that evening make me realize that it is always possible for them to get to know our beloved departed beyond the material world, thanks to the shared memories of us who did have the privilege of meeting them on this side of Heaven. God will always provide opportunities to let His children be remembered through the years. Their influence is passed down through the kindness of their actions which live in the minds of those who experienced and treasured them.

The days I spent in that old farm house, a house filled with over 100 years of memories, were truly special. There is so much contained in the walls of that home, good and bad, but all valuable, and I got the chance to share into it if only for a fleeting period of time. How remarkable is that?