From the Mouths of Babes (My Babes)

Looking back on the last few weeks, I can now see that my grandkids had some funny and sweet things to say about everything that was going on around them.  I wanted to put them to words before I could forget any of them.

Sarah and Nick let the kids take their own lead as to how they wanted to handle the wake and funeral.  Natalie went right up to the casket with Dick and I.  Lizzy and Jack hung back for awhile, but went up later.  These are just some of the things they had to say.

Natalie

The night of the day Eddie died, Sarah was going to put the kids to bed.  She found Natalie and Lizzy kneeling on Natalie's bed looking out the window with the shade over their backs.  She decided to put Jack to bed first.  When she came back, Lizzy was in her bed asleep and Natalie was in her bed awake.  Natalie told Sarah that her and Lizzy saw Grandpa Eddie in the stars with Kodi (Katie and Mark's dog who died last year) and Grandpa looked happy.

As we waited in line to go up to the casket the first time at the wake, Natalie kept peeking her head around to see Grandpa Eddie.  She could see his face.  As we waited, she asked what we should do when we got up there.  I told her we could stand or we could kneel down and say a prayer.  She said she would like to say a prayer.  We knelt down and Natalie smiled.  She said Grandpa looked happy, just like when she saw him in the stars with Kodi and then she laughed.  Grandpa had a puzzle with him in the casket.  If you knew Eddie, you know that up until a few weeks before he died, he always had a jigsaw puzzle he was working on. 

Lizzy

It took Lizzy a few hours before she was curious enough to venture up to the casket.  When she did, she had some questions. 

1.  Where are Grandpa Eddie's legs?
2.  Are they going to put his pajamas on him?
3.  Last, but not least, she saved her best question for the day of the funeral.  We were all in our cars leaving the cemetery heading for the luncheon.  Lizzy asked her mom, "So, when are we going to meet Grandma Lou's new husband?"

Jack

I never personally saw Jack up at the casket at all until he walked up with Dick and I as we stopped one last time at the casket on the way out to the funeral.  I asked Jack if he wanted to tell Grandpa Eddie good bye.  His response, "Ahhhh, no thanks!"

Jack sat with Dick and I at church.  He was a complete and total angel.  I've never seen him so well behaved at church.  It was almost as if he knew that this was the day to be on his best behavior.  The priest came out with the incense and there were bells tied to the chains.  They sounded like sleigh bells to me.  I asked Jack if he heard bells.  He said yes.  I told him they sounded like Santa's bells.  Jack looked me straight in the eye and said "Grammy, it's not even snowing out!"

Abby

My baby had some of the best advice ever for me after the funeral and we were at home that night. 
"Mom, don't dwell on who didn't come that you thought would or who disappointed you.  Think about all the people who supported you and all the people who surprised you."  That is exactly what I have done.  She is such a smart girl.