The Celebration of Katherleen

I am blessed that Mother’s Day weekend, I was able to be with my grandmother, my aunt and my mother. It was a fast but awesome weekend. I flew into Atlanta on Friday and spent the afternoon with my dad. We had an open and honest conversation about relationships but that is for another blog. Anyway, on Saturday morning I woke up at 5 AM (this time should not exist) so I could get ready for us to leave at 6 AM. Everyone knows that I am not a morning person, so let’s just say that I was trying to play nice with the kiddies that morning. We had a 4 hour drive in front of us and the surprise birthday party was at 2 PM.

We had a fun and lively conversation, as we normally do on road trips. I’ll refrain from saying who originally said it but the statement was made no less than 6 years ago. So, we were on a trip from Wisconsin, I believe, to Georgia and someone asked, “Do you want to stop and get a creamer?” The other two people in the car were like, we don’t have any coffee. The person said, “No, not coffee. Do you want a creamer? Hurry up and let me know so we can stop.” There was a debate on what a creamer could possibly be between the other two. So they just asked, “Well, what is a creamer?” The person was clearly irritated at this point and said, “Do you want a creamer from Steak and Shake? You always get strawberry.” And the light bulb came on, “You mean a milk shake?” To this day when we see a Steak and Shake, we ask each other, hey, do you want a creamer? I think we laughed for about 30 minutes. Needless to say, we have a lot of laughs when we get together.

We arrived in Valdosta, GA around 10 AM. I was the first person my grandmother saw when she came out, part one of her surprise. She actually had no idea my parents were coming either because my mom was sneaky and said we don’t know if we’ll be able to make it. My dad and I picked my mom up at the airport Friday night so my mom had told my grandmother she might be tired from her trip. I hadn’t been in Valdosta in almost 3 years so it should have been a big shock to see me. But, my grandmother was just happy that I was there. She fussed over me like she always does and even after so much time apart, things haven’t changed a bit.

Around 2, we left for the “Mother’s Day Lunch” aka my grandmother’s surprise party. She had no idea until after we finished singing happy birthday (she sang along). Now, you know I love a good party, and I must say this was one of the best ones I have ever attended. My cousin and I read our poems and then we had church. My mother, who is very passionate, told the story about her car accident 30 years ago. My grandmother heard a siren while she was visiting her sister in Florida and she instantly knew my mother was in trouble. She didn’t know what was wrong but she prayed. Have you ever heard the song about prayer? I’ve included a verse:
My mother prayed for me,
Had me on her mind,
Took the time and prayed for me.
I’m so glad she prayed,
I’m so glad she prayed,
I’m so glad she prayed for me.

At the same time that my grandmother was praying in response to the siren; my mother, in GA, was involved in a horrific head on collision. A man at the scene of the accident literally held my mother’s neck in place. If he hadn’t and she had tried to move, she wouldn’t have made it to the hospital. The doctors told my father that it would be a miracle if she lived to see the sunrise in about 5 hours. The drunk driver that hit her walked away from the accident unharmed. However, the two people in the car with my mother died less than 5 years after the accident due to injuries sustained during that time. My mother had to learn to walk after spending months flat on her back unable to move. The doctors said that she wouldn’t make it; that she shouldn’t be here today. But God (my favorite phrase) had other plans. I don’t know where you stand in light of eternity, but God is real. I can testify time after time about the realness of God. I thank Him every single day for my life. See, at the time, I had not been born. I was born almost a year and a half after she had the accident. So had she died, I wouldn’t be here. That is when revival broke out. After my mother’s testimony, we sang songs of praise to our Heavenly Father. Without Him, our lives would not be the same.

I can’t tell you all of the songs we sang or all of the things that people said about my grandmother. But, I can tell you that if you don’t know Jesus, you need to get to know Him quickly. I am a living testimony of how prayer changes things. I could tell you my life story and how prayer changed things in my life. However, I will save that for a later time. I know that some people are thinking that all the things that happened at the time of my mom’s accident were a coincidence and fate intervened and all that. I’m telling you that God orchestrated each event and He is the reason we are alive.

I had an amazing time at my grandmother’s party. I have the most fabulous family in the world and I adore them. Despite our size, we are very close and I pray for them all of the time. Before I go, let me ask you this, Have you told your loved ones that you love them? Have you extended grace to someone or gone out of your way for another person? If not, you should take a close look at your life and the relationships you have. Tomorrow is not promised to you. You need to tell the people who are important to you that you care about them. Yes, it was a very short trip and long way for me to go to surprise my grandmother for her birthday. But, I have the memories of that day, the joy I saw in her eyes and the bond of sharing that event with my family forever. Be blessed!!!

The Legacy of Katherleen

This is the poem I wrote for my Grandmother's Surprise 75th Birthday Party. The next blog is on the party itself.

Each person has a legacy. For some it is written in history, for others it is financial and for most it is the impact on the life of another. There are those that never meet you, whose lives you may have impacted through your influence of someone. Think of the generations of people who do something because it’s always been done that way, that’s someone’s legacy.

If you know my grandmother at all, she has a servant’s heart. If you let her know what you want to eat, she will make sure the meal is ready and waiting for you upon your arrival at the house. And no one seems to have figured out why I don’t want to cook. Not once have I heard her complain about it, she doesn’t make a big deal over it, she just does it. There have been numerous gatherings around her table to share a meal, a laugh and good conversation. She fed my obsession with bacon by always making sure that there was some available if I was coming to her house. If it wasn’t waiting on me when I got there, it was ready to be put in the pan.

The bond between grandparent and grandchild is special. I remember waiting for the bacon to get ready much to my parents dismay, she wouldn’t let them leave until it was done. I remember the tears she shed when I got in trouble. I remember the constant support she has given. I know that I can always call, no matter the time of day or night and she will be happy to hear from me. I know some of the recipes she has shared, even if I avoid the kitchen.

I can’t imagine my life without my grandmother. When I grow up, I want to be just like her. Honestly, it started at a young age when I insisted on being called Kathy. If you are here, it’s because my grandmother means something to you. She has touched each of our lives in unexplainable ways. When I look back over the years, I simply have to smile. I am honored that I am able to let her know on this special occasion that her mark has been left on my life, her legacy will continue for years to come.