Chapter 11-Held in the Grip of the Love of God

October 17,2013

Flying to the States for the last time to see mom seemed so serial. I couldn't believe I was going home to say, "good-bye" to MOM. I knew we had about four to six weeks with her.  I was terribly sad. We decided that Carmelinda was to go with me. She was now almost 6 years old. I tried hard to prepare her to what we were going to Grandpa's house for.

I was SO glad I took her. She was a joy to have around! God used her once again as a healing balm for our family. She was so sweet with mom. She enjoyed wheeling mom around on the wheel chair. She would hold her hand while the therapist gave her leg and feet messages.  She enjoyed reading to her.  I could tell mom loved every minute of it!

Carmelinda loved praying for mom. She would ask God to heal mom so that she and her could walk and talk again. She asked my Aunt Susie that was visiting, when Grandma was going to talk again. Aunt Susie told her that when she sees Jesus she will be able to talk again. Aunt Susie told her the story of my Uncle Mike and Grandpa Gingerich, others who have gone ahead. Aunt Susie is such a good story teller, Carmelinda must have caught on to the excitement because Carmelinda exclaimed, “I want to go too!”

During the first several weeks after mom came home, she had two seizures. This was expected due to the tumor growing. For Carmelinda’s sake, I was glad she didn’t see these happen.

The next weeks were an up and down emotional roller coaster ride. Mom had her good days and her not so good days. At times she talked and walked more to where we wondered if God was healing her! It was confusing for me. I expected her to decline rapidly over the weeks, but that didn’t happen.

God was SO merciful to her and gave us some wonderful memories with her, memories I will cherish forever!

On one Sunday, Carmelinda and I took care of her while dad went to church. We were able to sing and read to her. Carmelinda was so funny and cute and told Grandma stories.

On Father’s Day, we had a special lunch and that night we had a very special surprise for mom. The Spanish church came with their guitars and sang for mom. There were nine men with nine guitars that sang. The house was packed with Latin’s!  It was SO beautiful. The Spanish church looked at mom as a “spiritual mom.” I believe it was a sneak peak into heaven for mom!

June 19, was mom’s 67^th birthday. Louie and I bought her 67 roses. They were beautiful! She also got all kinds of other flowers. Sandy Gordon brought us lunch. She brought fish since she knew mom loved fish! Dad gave mom a very sentimental gift. He gave her a new nightgown and then a photo plaque that had two sides. One the one side was a picture of them. The picture was of them standing in front of the house, both with their straw hats. Dad with his Amish hat that was given to him and mom with her cute straw hat that has a scarf around it! On the other side of the plaque, Dad had printed out a poem that he had written mom about two years prior at a Marriage Encounter. He said he refined the poem and decided to give it to her. Here it is:

I love you for your single-handed

Mattress relocation;

But I promise you again my love

In every situation.

I love you yet when you’re too feeble

To even comb your hair;

When you’ve spent your faithful efforts

With no energies to spare;

When you sit beside the window

With a far-off look in your eyes

Recalling by gone days when

We shot across the skies

In quest of sweet adventures

As we took the mighty word

To humble huts and

Mansions rich

For those who hadn’t heard;

And prayed and preached and

Comforted,

Defying cold despair

In hopeful expectation of

God’s intervention there;

I’ll love you to the very end

Of our pilgrimage together,

And hope the Lord will let us just

Be married forever and ever.

Written by Elam Stauffer

To Doris Stauffer

Refined 6-19-00

As mom read the poem, she cried. We all did. My thoughts were thoughts of sadness and wondering if this would be her last birthday. It was so bitter sweet.