While sitting on the floor in my closet. I came across a box filled with some old photographs of family and friends. As I was looking through them I started to reminisce on the past and also pondered the future. Some of the memories were wonderful and joyous. But some of the memories were not so good. It’s okay to reminisce on the past. I feel that mentally it’s very good for the soul. As I looked at the old photographs, I started to see where some features had changes, but some still remained the same. It was so refreshing to my soul to look back and enjoy the pictures. I came across an old photograph of my sweet dear Mother and it took me back to the very day she passed away. How sad a day that was for me and my family. She exited our life so quickly like a beautiful rose that lost all of it’s peddles to the wind! Gone forever! But even with all the pain on that day. I found a jewel right in the midst of all the turmoil and despair. No, it was not a diamond or sapphire gem! But it was a living, breathing jewel. Yes, I miss my Mother dearly. But on that day as my Angel flew away to Heaven. God sent a beautiful jewel in return on that very same day.
I’m sure it was not to replace my Mother, as we shall never forget her. But God did a favor of sort for me and my husband that day. Here we were at a very somber time in our life and filled with so much emptiness. The lost of my Mother and no hope of having a child of our own. I was feeling so empty inside. Barren is what most would say about me, but my husband and I continually praised God even so. I knew that His plan for our lives was the best plan. So if my husband and I was ever going to have a child, we always said it would be up to God to make it happen for us. And it did! God sent us a beautiful, sweet, playful, loving and adoring jewel. We call her our jewel because of her uniqueness. When I first met her, she looked as empty inside as I was at that time. She didn’t really talk and she was sought of withdrawn. I could say that her story and mine were about the same. In that, we both had lost our Mothers. Hers in a different way then mine. I lost my Mother when she died. But her Mother gave her up!
At the time I knew nothing about her situation or that there was a situation. But I questioned sometime later; how could a Mother give up something so beautiful? No, I am not judging her Mother at all. I’m just trying to understand. She probably did the very best that she could to keep her child. But in the end she felt that it would best serve her to have someone else take care of her. I did found out later that her Mother was ill. So maybe she felt by giving her child to someone else, that it would save her from a life of uncertainty. You also have to understand that Makayla wanted so very much to be with her Mother. Can you blame her? I wanted my Mother back with me so that I could take care of her. But I could not save my Mother and I know that I could not bring her back. So,Makayla and I had to lean on God to help us endure what we were going through. And for a child that is very hard to do. But that is why I believe God sent her into our lives to help her. We are truly, truly blessed. Our lives changed in an instant when we took the opportunity to become parents of sought! More like co-parents with her Guardian (her Grandmother). But it didn’t matter to Darrell and I how it came about or how we were to share in raising Makayla. Yes, the adjustment was hard but worth it. We are a family and we are very happy.
I will never forget my Mother. I have the pictures to remember. But I also have her everlasting love that she left here with us. And even though she is gone. I thank God for sending our jewel from heaven. There’s no other way we can look at this. Makayla brings us joy, love and happiness. She fills our lives with an abundance of laughter. It is good to remember. But it is better to be in the moment! I have a closet filled with pictures to remember. But we have a jewel in our midst!
Written by, Staice J M Morris
June 19, 2012
