Grand-Patty

We just lost our Aunt Patty this past weekend. We had gone to visit her at her home on Thursday, and she passed on Sunday while we were at church. Though we are thankful the Lord was merciful and saw fit to call her home, we all miss her very much. She was so special to each of us, and we will always treasure our memories of her.

This is the first person that Isaac has been especially close to and lost. She has been on his mind daily for months. He would be playing with his toys and suddenly pop his head up and say, "I wonder how Grand-Patty is feeling today." He has prayed for her every night in his prayers. We were sitting at the kitchen table at her house this past weekend, and he asked Aunt Polly if she was feeling any better yet. Aunt Polly told him that, no, Grand-Patty was not feeling very well. Isaac then held out both of his hands to the people beside him and said, "Then we need to pray!" Everyone held hands, and he prayed.

I've discussed death, heaven, and the separating of the soul and body with him surrounding all this, but it is a lot to grasp for a three-year-old. I can see him thinking about it a lot and trying to wrap his mind around all that I am saying, but he's not quite there. He wanted to see her at the funeral home and then sat under the tent at the graveside service. I had explained that it would only be her body there and that her soul (the part that sees us, talks to us, and plays with us; the part we love...) has gone to live in heaven with Jesus. When he saw her at the funeral home, though, he asked if she was taking a nap. Then, at the end of the graveside service, he got very sad and scared, and said that he did not want them to "put Grand-Patty up." We are back home now, and despite our many conversations, he still asks about how she's doing and occasionally still mentions her in his prayers. Friday, he drew a picture on his magnadoodle. I was bragging on how good it looked. He said he was saving it to show to Grand-Patty...so she would open her eyes.

We've explained that our prayers have been answered, and that she is all better now. She's happy and healthy and living with Jesus. Lord willing, he will understand in time. For now, we are all just missing her with him.


This first picture is of Grand-Patty playing with the boys on our beach vacation this summer. The second picture is of some of the fun she rigged up at her house. She is driving the four-wheeler (very slowly!) around the front yard while Aunt Candy, Isaac, and Noah ride in the trailer behind her.