The Legacy of This Girl's SmileThis girl’s smile is one of those gifts. By giving this gift, this girl has left a legacy that reaches far beyond her physical presence and her 73 years of life.
The legacy of this girl’s smile lives in the faces of two boys and four girls who bear her likeness. I see it in their familiar grins, dimples, the “I know a secret” on the verge of giggles, shy smile; but I see it most in how they live and greet the world: winning it over with their ready, gentle and easy smiles.
I see it peeking thru on the faces of her children’s children and still, even tho it’s buried a bit further under other layers, I see it in her children’s, children’s children...those babies, who will never see her with their eyes, but will still reflect her image.
On my better days, I see it reflected in my own mirror. On my worst days, it’s the thing I long for most...to see it across the kitchen table...soothing and comforting, assuring me that it’s going to be alright.
This legacy lives on. It amused a mother and put the whistle in a father’s heart. It endeared sisters to her for a lifetime. It won a young man’s heart and devotion. It lightened and brightened her friends lives with inspiration. It welcomed six children into the world and taught them to be friends with it. And it showed grandchildren just why grandmas are so special.
We will carry it in our hearts and minds everyday and it will carry us. And when we leave this world, it will be one of the first things we look for on the other side.
This girl’s smile taught us to laugh, to expect, to sing, to hope, to enjoy, to care, to accept and to love and to be loved.
This is the legacy of this girl’s smile...
Directions to here:
It's this girl's birthday today.
I thought I'd share this with you all again to remind myself and us how blessed we are to have known this girl as "mom."
2 comments:
You describe it much better than I could. So many times in my life in different situations with our siblings and our children I have seen
"this girls smile" win the hearts of those that it has touched. I've always told Verna "It's that Bryant blood in us".
We have been blessed.
Thanks for reminding us.
I left this comment the other day, but guess it didn't post. I was telling about mom's love of music and when I went to our first choir practice monday night...we sang "Because He Lives" and "Precious Lord..take my hand" We are singing Precious Lord in church on Sunday. I was telling Nancy to BE THERE! Sorry it didn't post sooner. As for the Buckley pictures. Dad grew the corn behind the house. We picked it, husked it, tied it, made scarecrow dolls...the first year, I think we just sold Indian corn. I pulled our little green wagon behind my meals on wheels van...the next year we moved up to the dolls. We must have made some money....but not enough to cover our labor..I'm sure!
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