Sunday, May 11 – Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Sunday, May 11
Happy Mother’s Day!
That’s how this week’s journal was to begin…and, in fact, it really was a wonderful day that I shared moments with both Edith and Jean and talked with most all of our kids.
Sunday, May 11
Happy Mother’s Day!
That’s how this week’s journal was to begin…and, in fact, it really was a wonderful day that I shared moments with both Edith and Jean and talked with most all of our kids.
We had told Edith that we would fix lunch for her gift today. Jerry and Jane were coming down from Roswell (Ernie and Billee were on the road to Austin), so while Jim baked bread and barbecued pork chops, I scurried around the kitchen and fixed steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, and a dessert. It was the best Mother’s Day, and my heart was full of joy and hope.
Monday, May 12
Shortly after Jim awoke, he said, “Barbara you know how you sometimes tell me you have this feeling that something horrible is wrong.” I knew immediately what he meant as I do get those feelings and usually I’m not far off base…our thoughts went to Heather and Andy since they were the only kids we hadn’t talked to lately and we had been trying to contact them. I don’t know how to explain this, but from that moment on, I, too, sensed that Jim was completely right.
When we checked the mail and found a returned, uncashed check from the state of Texas for our car tags (we had forgotten to enclose a copy of our insurance), we laughingly said…oh, this explains our doom and gloom! We tried to shake the feeling off…but it lingered…
Tuesday, May 13
A day of howling, swirling wind and dust. We both tried to shake the “blues” but again, neither of us was very successful. Usually at times like these, one of us is able to encourage the other and we’re able to move forward…it just wasn’t working that way this time.
Wednesday, May 14
It rained! Oh, not a lot, but enough to smell the crisp, clean air, to feel that God was washing the dust away. And, besides, this was Wednesday…a day to share a meal with Jean and family at lunch. Since Jean was going to have to work during lunch, Jim and I were to pick up lunch and take it to the funeral home where we’d share time with Jean, Susie, and Karen. Jerry and Nancy weren’t going to be able to make it this week.
I have no idea why, since I’m always complaining to Leah that she calls too much when it costs us minutes, but I called her about 1:00. I had nothing to say really, I just wanted to know how things were going since she wanted to come Mother’s Day week-end, but Jim and I talked her out of it because it’s a 9-hour trip from Liberal to Artesia and we didn’t think it made any sense for her to come since she’s 8 months pregnant and Ryan is on a fishing trip so she’d being traveling alone.
The last thing we talked about was her doctor visit this afternoon, and I, in my usual, lecturing way…said, “Well, don’t call us…just email us what he has to say, since we’ve already talked today.” (Where was that sense that something was wrong????????)
And, then our world fell apart and a little light diminished in our world. Leah Renee’ did call my cell and Jim’s (but we had forgotten to take them with us while we ran a 15-minute errand.) We both thought nothing of this since it wasn’t the first, second, or 50th time Leah disregarded our admonition to not call for something unimportant. The rain seemed to have lifted our sense of pending disaster so we were caught unaware and hopelessly unprepared for what she had to tell us.
Our precious, unborn grandson, Jameson Dudley McQuitty, aka Baby McQ, will never have a chance to know his beloved Mommy and Daddy and the family who loves him so much. How can this be? We have no answers…only heartache, worry for Leah and Ryan, and grief.
A Little Light Diminishes…
On the way to Liberal,
Jim and Barbara
On the way to Liberal,
Jim and Barbara
