Missing Maynard

Doug's death brought another wave of grief for us over the loss of John's dad, Maynard. I know he is in heaven, and that knowledge brings comfort when the rains clouds of sadness hover. I'm so glad Maynard is with Jesus. At the same time, we miss him here on earth! Most of all, I'm sad that Maynard never met Jackson. I know that makes John very sad, too. I wish Maynard could hold Jackson's cuddly little body and hear his giggle echo through the house. I wish we could sit together at the dinner table and listen to Jackson jabber away, "telling" us all about his day. I wish Maynard could kiss Jackson's sweet little hands. It makes me so sad that Jackson never got to know his Grandpa Maynard. What a wonderful, generous man of God.

John has gone through valleys since his Dad's death in Feb. 2008. Grief is tough to deal with. You're doing fine one minute, and then the next minute you're overcome with another wave of grief. Simple things trigger it... a smell, a song, a favorite scripture. Doug's death caused another wave of grief to surge over us, especially John. My advice to him was to ride the wave. Allow it to wash over you, and then trust in God as the fresh grief subsides. This is all part of the grieving process.

John visited his Dad's crypt while he was in Hendersonville. He spent some time there, sitting in the mausoleum. He hung recent photos of Jackson on the marble face, next to Maynard's name. It creeps me out a little that Louise's name is already there, waiting... 

I've always wondered if people in heaven can look down on earth? I don't know what makes me feel this way, but I think they can. I'm sure the theologians could write volumes to debate the matter, and I don't really care. The fact is no one really knows. For me, it just makes sense. Maynard served the Lord all his life. It would make him happy to "see" his family, and somehow I think God would happily oblige that small wish. It makes me smile when I think of Maynard taking a break from fixing up his mansion, setting down the duct tape to check in on us every once-in-awhile.