Today I am thankful for my mom.
She was simply amazing.
A life changer for sure.
She went to be with Jesus on Sunday.
Her funeral was yesterday.
The past 2 weeks have been crazy.
I miss her.
But I am thankful for an entire week where I was with her from sun up to sun down.
I am thankful for all the talks and sweet time I spent laid up in her hospital bed right beside her.
Insanely, awesome time with her that I feel was a gift just for me.
I’m thankful for the Grammy she was.
The values she instilled in my children and the quality time she spent with them.
The incredible amount of love she showered them with.
And the prayers she prayed for them.
I am thankful for the woman she was.
A woman who put others needs above her own, kind-hearted, extremely thoughtful, God fearing, a selfless giver.
She was too much fun with an infectious laugh and a personality that was one of a kind.
Gosh I miss her.
So today has been way different than I imagined this Thanksgiving to be.
I skipped out on Thanksgiving lunch and went to the movies with my best friend Ashley.
My mom went to the movies every Thanksgiving.
We mourned with mini slider hotdogs, pizza, popcorn and coke. This is normal right?
We also did a little retail therapy together at Old Navy.
A mustache kitty cat shirt for Harper equals fantasticness.
I know Ive never, ever mentioned I am an emotional eater :), but I am.
Ashley is too good to me and knew we needed to stop off for another snack.
And tonight I just may hit up Target at midnight with Ashley.
I haven’t been sleeping well, so I may as well experience some Black Friday madness.
Everything feels very surreal still, but I am fully confident that God’s ways are not my ways.
He gets this and He gets how I feel right now.
He gets that I miss my mom.
I am thankful, truly thankful for a mom who loved me like no other and a mighty God who truly gets me.
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Oh, Laura. I am SO sorry. My mom and I were just talking about you and wondering about your mom. I’m so sorry to hear this news. Praying for you and your family.
Laura, I’m am so sad after reading this post. Just know I am praying for you and believing for God to give you his peace and rest like only he can. We were just talking today at lunch that my granddad died when my mom was my sister’s age and he was my mom’s age and we were baffled by how young they both were. Just heart broken for you, but thankful that God’s ways are much better than ours.
I am so sorry … so very, very sorry for your loss.
I am so very sorry to hear about your mom…we have been praying. We will continue to pray for you and your family.
Laura, I am so sorry to hear about your mother. She sounds like she was an amazing woman of God. Praying for you and your family.
Laura I am so sorry for your loss. I am praying for you and your family. He is holding you close I know. You are an amazing woman. Hugs to you!
love you from down under.
So sorry to hear… thoughts and prayers w/ you all! Thanks for sharing so much of your life w/ us, I don’t even know you, but have tears in my eyes! You are truly an amazing person, and it sounds as if though Mom was as well! I know we will never understand why things happen as they do, and I am glad you got to spend so much time w/ her at the end of her life here… I do believe that He has plans for all of us & that your Mom is in a amazing place now! Take care and stay strong!
Laura,
I am so sorry for your loss. Your mom sounds absolutely amazing; I can tell she passed on many of her wonderful traits to you. I am praying for peace, comfort and strength for you and your family.
This is beautiful. What a legacy your mom has left, and it has certainly rubbed off on you. You’ve always made her so proud, you could just feel it every time she looked at you. She truly blessed everyone she met. I know I am not alone when I say she was by far one of my favorite people and she has left such an impact that will never be forgotten. I Love you and am so, so proud of you.
I am so sorry… Praying…
Oh Laura, I’m so sorry. It hurt my heart to read this. I’ll be praying for you guys.
~Bev Brown
My heart hurt for you as I read this and looked at the beautiful pictures. I am happy that you got to spend those precious final days with your Momma and glad you took today to do what you needed to do for you. I am sure she must be SO proud of you and the woman, Christian, wife, mother and the list goes on that you are. May God wrap his arms of comfort around you in the days ahead and give you a peace that you will know can only come from him. Praying for you and your sweet family.
I’ve recently started following your blog. I am so very sorry. =(
I am so very sorry for your loss. I’ve not commented before, but I read your blog all the time.
I am so sorry you are going through this right now. I lost my mom to cancer when I was 16 and it just stinks. Thankful you have such wonderful memories. It is great to hear all the amazing things about your mom and seeing the happy photos of her with your kids. She seemed like such a spunky woman of God! Praying for you and those who love her.
I’m so sorry Laura. My heart breaks for you. Losing someone special like that….there are no words. You are in my prayers.
You are an amazing woman, Laura Kelley, and I know your Mom is up in Heaven telling everyone how Thankful she is that you were her daughter.
What a beautiful tribute on Thanksgiving Day to the amazing person that your Mom was. Thanks for sharing your joys and your pain with us.
Love, Peg
Sweet, sweet post. My heart goes out to you right now.
I met your Mom at the Goodlettsville Arts & Antiques Festival. She came by the Women of Moncrief booth. She was talking about you, and how proud she was of you, who you are and the incredible art that you create. I told her that you would be a famous artist one day, and she had no doubt about it. I am so sorry to hear of your loss, but so happy that you both shared a very special bond. Give yourself as long as you need to walk through this. May your comfort come from the same place where your Mom now resides. God bless.
Laura, I am so sorry about your mom. My heart just hurts for you right now. I do not know you but follow your blog. Praying for you and your family right now. I love that last picture of her…she is really beautiful. And what a blessing to have such a great friend to hang with on Thanksgiving.
Oh Laura I am floored!! I am sooooooo sorry my heart breaks for you and your family. I pray that God will give you peace in knowing that her legacy has been left for you! Love to you!
Laura,
I am so, so sorry to hear this. My heart is broken for you. I’ll be praying for your family during this difficult time.
Wow… There are so many things I want to express and say to you after reading this post. 1) My heart aches for you and your family with the passing of your mom. I can certainly see that there is a huge crater in your heart since she left this place. 2) Although I have never personally met you or your Mom, you both always come across to me as two pretty stinkin’ awesome women- you know, the kind of women who when they pass through in your life you then think to yourself, “Ummm, even though she may not agree, I really think she has truly figured out how to live life to it’s fullest, happiest, healthiest potential and has done so with full integrity.” I thank you both for being positive influences to the world! 3) Thank you for being so open and transparent. I am not exaggerating when I say that I learn how to be a better person each and everytime I read one of your posts. It is all bc you are so open and honest. 4) Your faith and devotion to God, our Maker and Father, is one that humbles me. I pray that nothing ever hinders that relationship and that you continue to witness in really incredible way that you do. 5) Prayers for comfort and peace are going up for you, your family, and all of those who love you Mom. May you all feel the comforting love of God’s grace during this dark time in your lives.
So sorry to hear about your mom but rejoicing with you that she had a relationship with our Savior. Having lost my mom over 30 years ago, I know it’s a process and journey so give yourself time. Hugs and much love your way.
Laura, so very sorry to hear. Praying for you today.
Laura,
I’m just squawling right now. I have been since Sunday. It hurts so much. I know that God is Sovereign, I know He loves you and me and the world….but, it still hurts so much. I’m having a hard time seeing the screen right now … and little sounds are coming from somewhere. God bless Josh for being there for you…and the kids. When I think of her grandkids, it makes me cry. I’m just so sad. What are we going to do now? Who is going to make us our bread…and cinnamon rolls? Who is going to take me shopping? Who will we stay with when we come to TN and who will make us laugh? Who will the sisters “put on” when we talk on the phone? Who is going to call me on her way to work? It’s like the light went out when she died. I’m so impressed with you and Chris and your strength. What a tribute to Sandra. I love you and your sweet family and Chris and his sweet family. I miss Sandra so much.
I read yesterday in “Jesus Calling” that we are to be thankful in all things. I’m thankful that Sandra was my sister. I’m thankful that she is in heaven with Jesus. I’m thankful that you are my niece and so much like Sandra. I love you.
I have been reading your blog for awhile….we were in process for Ethiopia and switched to China SN over the summer. I am SO sad to hear of your mom’s passing. I don’t even know you personally, but literally had tears this morning reading your post. I can’t imagine what a shock this was with it all happening so quickly. I will be praying for your family and for God’s sustaining grace and faithfulness. Your mom was obviously an amazing woman and I am thankful for your apparent impact on you and your entire family! Many prayers being said on your behalf.
Love~~Jenny
Oops….last sentence should read…..”for HER apparent impact on you and your entire family!”
Noooo! OH Laura, I am lifting you up to the throne room right now. I just wanna give you a giant hug. Your mom was special. I don’t have to know her in person to know that about her: through looking at pictures of her (oh goodness the one of her holding Sol for the first time?), through your words and tribute, through the experience of having my own mother and knowing how precious and irreplaceable a mama is to a child. I feel like I got gut punched when I read this post. I know in the midst of the hurt and indescribable pain you are choosing thankfulness. I will choose to be thankful (through tears!) with you and say she was AMAZING. I keep going back to that picture of her with Sol…it is certainly a foreshadowing of the Great Reunion to come.
Until that day when there are no more tears, no more pain, and we are forever reunited with the ones we love,
Rory
Laura, I am so sorry to hear of your loss! Not being close to my mother it is kind of hard to relate, yet not. I lost my father to lung cancer 9yrs ago. I was very much a daddy’s girl so in that way, I totally understand how you miss your Mom! It does get easier, but the holidays are always times that will be hard the first few years. I will be praying for you an your family this holiday season!!
I am so thankful that you were able to have quality time with your Mom, the last week of her life!! And for your sake and your kids, and other family members it is good that you didn’t have to watch your mother suffer through long agonizing hours and days of radiation treatments and chemo. The best healing of cancer is getting to go home to be with Jesus and made whole again! It took me a little while to realize that with my Dad. But he passed just 3 wks to the day once he was diagnosed. And I know he prefered that! He was a grief councelor at the hospital he actually passed away at, so he saw how hard it was for people to watch their loved ones suffer and waste away. So this was good. It is hard to know that now, but I know there are many peoples prayers that will help carry you through this valley! You’re so blessed to have a good friend like your Ashley! 😀
Laura, my heart is breaking for you after reading this post. Your mother sounds like an incredible woman who will surely be missed. Please know that you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers both today and in the weeks and months to come.
Oh Laura, I am in tears reading this, I am so so sorry to hear this news. I love your precious words and photos that depict an amazing Mum & Granny. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers XXxxx
My 16 year-old-nephew died on Oct 24th. It was unexpected and tragic. We did not get to say goodbye. At the visitation, I listened to 1,200 people tell me “I’m so sorry for your loss”. Literally, almost every single person said that. So, I would like to tell YOU that I rejoice with you that your mom is standing with Jesus today! I praise God that he did not spare his own precious Son so that your mom could be with him now! I praise God that it looks at though you have no regrets in your relationship with your mom, or in her relationship with your children! Praise God that one day when you hug your mom again, the shock and pain of losing your mom will feel like the dream instead of the sad reality.
I couldn’t sleep tonight so I decided to get online and catch up on facebook. I was suddently overcome with wanting to see your mom’s picture…so I hopped to you and Chris’ facebook page and found this blog. I know it’s not even a 10th of what you feel, but man, I miss her. I know she wasn’t in my life as much recently as she was when I was growing up, but knowing how much I know you guys miss her makes me miss her even more. I’m just so sad, so incredibly sad. I KNOW she is better off, but man, it is tough on those that are left behind trying to make sense of everything AND I swear it just doesn’t make sense. Anyway, sorry to go on and on, but I am very thankful that God put you guys in my life…that I do get to see Sandra live on in you and Chris and your kids. I hate that you guys are hurting, I hate it, but also know that there are a lot of us praying for you and here to LOVE you. The picture of her on Sunday is beautiful, simply beautiful. THANK YOU for sharing it and yes, I agree with you, what a gift you got. She looked so incredibly happy, almost like she knew it was HER day!
My heart is broken for you. I know all about mamas who rock your world. Mine rocks my world. So the thought of losing her so quickly would tear my heart out. I’m sorry. I’ll pray for comfort that only God can send. Much love!
I am so very sorry to hear this Laura. I have felt a kinship with you, we share some music loves, and some philosophies. We also share a very special closeness with our mothers. I cannot imagine what you are feeling. Your strength and faith are amazing, and I want you to know you have both truly touched my heart.
Oh Laura I’m so sorry! I’ve been thinking about your family and wondering how she was doing. I’ll keeping praying for you…I know this is such a hard time.
my friend lost her mom last week with cancer, too. she was at her bedside when she went to heaven. i am going to forward your email to her… thanks for sharing!
I do not know you, Laura, but I know people who do, and I heard your story. I just wanted to say that even people who do not know you and your family are praying for your healing and comfort right now. From not only your posts, but many others, I know what a special person your mother was, and I cannot imagine the pain you are dealing with. You are such a lucky young woman to have had such an incredible mother and she was a very lucky woman to have such a special daughter. May God bless you all.
Laura…I pray for peace for you and your family…my heart aches at the news of your moms passing..I am at a loss for words..lean on those that can be strong for you right now..this is the time when you need to allow others to minister and carry you as I am sure you have done for others in there times of need…It is not right or fair or even okay when we lose someone we love..it feels as if something has been stolen from our lives…God understands the anger and hurt and holds us even when are angry at Him…because his love is greater than any…I will continue to keep you in my heart and prayers..you sweet lady..your existence and who you are is your mommas testimony
LIsaa Gillam