Memory Bears

A few weeks ago my girls received an awesome gift from dear friends of our family. I have known them for 20+ years, and am very grateful for them. After mom passed away they asked if they could have an item from mom's closet to have teddy bears made for my girls, and my niece, Danika, as a reminder of mom. Dad and I decided that her bath robes would work great.

The bears were made and delivered to dad, and a few weeks ago he mailed the girls their two bears. I cannot tell you how much this meant to me, and to Julie & Alayna. They immediately started calling them their "Mimi Bears," and they sleep with them each night and hug them tightly. As you can imagine, receiving the bears stirred up a lot of emotion for me. Julie has shown a great deal of maturity at times, during mom's illness and passing. When she saw me crying over the bears she came to me and said, "it's okay mom, everyone that knew Mimi misses her." She also said things like, "it's okay to cry, I know you miss your mom very much." She told me she was trying to say everything that daddy (Dave) does, so she didn't have to go and get him while I cried. What a precious, and grown up, little six year old.

Julie's bear is made from a light pink robe mom wore in the summer. It is faded from washing, but when we would visit my parents Julie would always wear this robe around the house, and we'd call her "Mini Mimi." Alayna's bear (and Danika's) is made from a robe I had bought mom a couple Christmas' ago.

Thank you again, Jeff & Terry. Having these bears made for the girls means more than you will ever realize...to them, and me.



Mom has been home in Heaven for over two months now. At this time it only feels like it's getter harder, and not easier. You will not find me blogging about this often at this point, as I am not looking to document the stages of my grief. I do not grieve for my mom to come back, to do that would not be fair to her...she is with her Heavenly Father, why would I wish her back from that? I grieve for my loss, and the loss my entire family feels. Her absence is always present on my mind, and the emotions strike me at the strangest times - a church picnic, doing household chores, being out in groups of people...no rhyme or reason, it just happens. I miss her.