it's saturday night and i'm setting the table for sunday dinner. two big plates, two small. three forks and spoons, and it hits me.there are mornings wives wake up without husbands.
i can't cut an apple for my baby without thinking of the mom who fed her baby snow white a poison apple. the mom who cut the apple too big. the mom who must face the produce section every week at the grocery store.
then my girls are in the bath and i won't leave for a second- no splashes. i heard there was a mother (a nurse,) her baby drowned from a splash.
in two days (sept 15th) it's the 14 year anniversary of the death of my husband's father. he died unexpectedly. the night before he was dancing. you better believe his place was set at the table.
the man i know yet haven't met; the man who gifted his son with kindness and love that blesses my life. i can't help but think of him, not just today but most days. these things remind me of him: horses, strong working hands (christian's hands, his brother's hands,) roping, the smell of rain, cattle, the escondida, the fresnal, the thorn ranch, pool blue eyes, low flying airplanes, kindness without predjudice.
not in fear of death but because of it, i enjoy life
in very very small bites of apple,
table setting without abandon,
and in nice warm baths, no splashes.
we miss you mister max lavon jones.
people who knew you and loved you,
people who love you,
even we who haven't yet met.
8 comments:
That is the sweetest post ever! I wished I could have known him.
Rusty woke up and remembered today was the sad day. Then I came and read your blog. Tearful day today. Gotta find CJ and give him a hug. (and any of the other 8.)
Good ol' Uncle Max! I have SO many fond memories of him. He passed away when I was 13. I can still remember the day. He was SO much fun... one of my favorite Uncles! He would always dance with me at the dances and I can remember several trips to the Thorn Ranch with him (me & Shea Lea), Also, him taking me and Lexie out to ride horses at the roping arena. I remember the day before his death he came over to our house wearing a silly wig! haha It brings a smile to my face just thinking of him. He is definitely missed! Can't wait til the big reunion when we all get to see him and our other loved ones again! =)
Sweet.Sincere.Ture Love.
I have heard so much about Uncle Max but don't know him either. Drowning by a splash?? what?? I've never heard of that, something else to make me more of a paranoid mom. Such a sweet poem.
I was fairly young when uncle Max died but i still remember him well! He would take me horseback riding sometimes and I always thought he was the coolest uncle ever and sometimes was jealous of Breana, Kali & Kaitlin for having such a cool grandpa!
We always miss him...especially at this time of year. We celebrated him at Star Western Wear...with new cowboy hats for all:)
I thought about Uncle Max on the anniversary of his death, like I always do. I remember the day Christian got called out of Schill's physics class. He left me his books and told me to put them in my locker thinking he'd get to the office, but afterwards, not come back to class. Thus, when he never returned, I didn't think much about it until I saw Vonnie Whetten in the hallway and she told me Christian went home because something happened to his dad. I was in disbelief. I had just seen him the night before at the fair, and I danced the "Chattahooche" and other songs with him to Tom's band. I still remember he was wearing his black Stetson and a long sleeve, dark green button up shirt. Anyway, that day I knew something was wrong when I called home from the school office and my parents phone was busy, as was any other Jones I tried to get ahold of. That was a hard time for me, seeing Christian have to go through that. We spent many nights sitting in "the negra" truck talking and shedding tears. I remember this time like it was yesterday, and even though I don't always say something about his passing, I think about it a lot, especially every September. Lots of love, Jamie
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