This picture was taken back in December when we were in Charlotte, NC.
Lana, who is named in part, after my Grandmother Margaret, wanted to go visit her grave and take flowers as well.
It was a sweet memory.
After taking some time to find the actual grave, we found that my Grandmothers was surrounded by graves with flowers while hers had none. This touched my girl. We lifted the vase and placed the flowers in it. Then we just stood there and talked. She wanted to know about the funeral (Grandmother died when I was 11 and it was also in December). She wanted to know if Grandmother would like her. She was curious about how later Paw-Paw will be buried in the same place. Lots of questions, but so sweetly asked.
I love that it is important to her that her middle name is Margaret. Even though she never met her, it seems that she feels some sort of kinship with her having shared the name.
I love that is was important to her to go and see where she is buried and to take flowers there to be sure she had some.
I love that us doing that was the most important thing on her agenda for that trip. I had to promise and then reassure that promise repeatedly.
3 months later, today, we went and visited another grave. This was the grave of her friend Ms. Eloise.
Ms. Eloise was 88 years old and died last July.
In December Lana had some Christmas money and used it to buy flowers for her grave.
We finally were able to go today and because we were able to go, it makes me wonder....
What will my sweet Lana be when she grows up?
I am amazed at the sensitivity that my 8 year old has towards elderly people and death.
Lana loved Ms. Eloise. She was a sweet little lady that had Alzheimer's, and loved the kids of our church with all her heart. She always had a quarter for Lana. Her sweet husband always made sure she had quarters to give out. Lana didn't love Ms. Eloise because she gave her quarters. She never kept them anyway, but put them in the offering plate.
Lana just loved Ms. Eloise. There was a connection she felt to her...one that I did not realize the depth of, until today.
We spent lots of time today by Ms. Eloise's grave today talking about God, and death, and Heaven.
It was another of those awesome opportunities that God gives us to speak the Gospel to our children.
We then spent some time picking up flowers around the other graves and carefully putting them back into vases. It bothers Lana that flowers have fallen out and nobody has picked them up.
It bothers her that there are too many graves that don't have flowers and that they need to mow the grass.
She was careful to walk around the graves and not step on the places where they are buried because that is somebodies loved one.
She is sensitive to death. She is sensitive to those that death leaves behind.
What will she be someday?
Will she be a person that goes to random graves and pulls the weeds and leaves flowers instead?
Will she go to nursing homes and sit and have tea parties with little old ladies?
Will she work at a funeral home and comfort people in their hour of need?
After we picked up all the flowers, Lana asked if we could go back and spend more time with Ms. Eloise.
She then sat by her grave with one lone tear drop on her face and asked if she could have a few minutes alone.
It was the most touching thing you could see an 8 year old do.
I will never forget that moment.
Whatever Ms. Eloise's role in Lana's life was while she was alive, her role in her death has had a profound impact on me as a Mother. I have seen a love and sensitivity that I did not know an 8 year old was capable of. I have also been given one more opportunity to talk to my daughter about the great mysteries of Godliness. About life, death and God's glory in it all.
What will she be someday?
I don't know the answer to that question, but by God's Grace I know she will be something beautiful for Him.
