Rough few weeks

This loss hurts ten times more than the last. My mom's dad, Papaw to me, was taken from us just a few days ago but already, it feels like I've had to spend years without him. As the phrase goes, you never know what you have until it is gone. Finding words to describe his life, to articulate just how much that man meant to me, is completely impossible, especially with the layers of shock still clouding me. Maybe one day, in a few months or years, I can look back and do justice to the man I will always call a hero.

Actually, that might be the best way to remember him... a hero. Papaw served in the military, served the Masons, served his friends and community, but most of all, he served his family. To so many who knew him, Joe Kelly was a shining beacon of compassion and love, someone to look forward to running into when out in Tomball. His smile was magnetic, his personality was filling, his heart was overflowing. Papaw will always be remembered as my hero.

Losing two role models in two weeks is tough. But as my mom constantly repeats, God sees the bigger picture and has big plans for those of us left behind. Even though the knowledge that my grandfathers are with my Father today, their loss is still bittersweet. Watching both of my parents lose their fathers, their rocks, their earthly foundations, hurts me beyond measure. Thankfully, mom and dad are strong together; how amazing is it that God provided my parents with one another to struggle through the same loss at the same time such that both can perfectly empathize with one another. Individually, my parents have faith in God's perfect and awesome plan but together, they have the faith to move mountains!

But something miraculous, something incredible also happened this weekend as my brother and sister-in-law found out that they are having a very healthy little girl in January! Initially, their doctor was concerned about various complications the child was experiencing but a high-risk specialist doused their fears and said their little girl was growing fine! That news brought a smile to me through the pain of losing another grandfather. Olivia will always know who her great-grandfathers were, and that even though she never met them here on earth, they loved her. I'm certain that Zac and Whitney will let Grandpa's and Papaw's legacies live on through their precious daughter!