Gratitude and Grief: A Personal Note

#106

Friend,

Today is marked by gratitude and grief.

Most of the time I write to you, but today I write for me. I want to tell you about my Mima. Later today, I will do the funeral for my Mima, Dortha Crews-Woods.

The first thing you need to know about Mima is that she is technically my wife’s grandmother, but all that means is that she has to love Heather, and she’s chosen to love me.

I’m so grateful to Mima. She welcomed me as part of this large, wonderful family, and she loved my wife beautifully, and my kids lavishly. She was a magnet who drew people to her, and she could as one of her grandkids said, “make the mundane meaningful.”

My life is better because of Mima. When my last living grandparent passed away in 2006, I told her that I needed her to be my grandmother, and she did. She had already embraced me as one of her own, but sometimes we need to hear the words, and so she was always so proud of me, proud of us, and loved us well.

There is great grief today. We’ve lost a giant of love, hospitality, hope, and humor. We’ve lost a Matriarch and a safe place of love and comfort.

Everyone needs a Mima, and I’m thankful I have her.

I say have her for 2 reasons.

1. As my wife has noted, she has imprinted on each of us. We are forever marked, shaped, and formed by her and her love.

2. We have hope because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of our faith in Jesus, we believe that Mima is alive with Him. I’m a Christian for a host of reasons but living hope in the valley of the shadow of death is at the top of the list.

So pray for our family today. And pray for me to have the words, strength, and appropriate emotions as I lead her service today.

Love,

Aaron