Take Pictures

How do you write about the end of an era? How can you say all the wonderful things that need to be said? There’s just too much, way, way too much!

On June 9, 1922 two individuals were born. They were not related and did not know one another. However, in 1942, they would eventually meet, fall in love, marry, and later, give birth to two wonderful children. They would remain happily married for sixty-eight years until her death in 2010.

They loved to travel and spent a lot of time on the road with tour groups and their church youth group. They went on a lot of cruises, sailing to Alaska and Ireland. They made friends everywhere they went and were always sharing pictures of their trips. Their most recent church youth group loved them so much they crowned them King and Queen for one of their dances. They were so very loved by so very many.

Murl and Eva Clark were my grandparents. They lived in Columbus, Indiana until they retired to Florida during my high school years. They were ever-present in my life, providing comfort and love. We lost my Nana on October 29, 2010, just after my fortieth birthday. I was devastated, crushed. I had to go back into therapy to deal with her loss.

My Nana took care of me when I was going through my divorce. She fed me lunch every day because I could not afford to eat out. I wasn’t making a lot of money, and they lived near where I worked. She knew when I was menstruating because I would eat everything. She knew when I was having a bad day and would offer comfort, sympathy, and advice. She made me chocolate pie and the best brownies. Given my tempestuous relationship with my mother, Nana was my rock.

We lost my Pop on November 20, 2020, again on a Friday. I got the call while my husband and I were in line to get tested for CoVID-19. He survived a decade without his true love. We did not lose him to CoVID-19 but to the ravages of age. He died peacefully in his sleep.

I remember my Pop most clearly during times of change in my life. He was always there, pitching in to help. When I moved into a rental condo that needed some serious work before it was habitable, Nana, Pop, and my parents came to help me paint. When I purchased that same condo, they all came up and helped me hang new blinds. When I decided to tile the kitchen counters, Nana and Pop spent the weekend with me while he and I tiled together. Nana kept us fed and entertained while we worked.

When I bought a house a few years later, the whole crew came up once again to help me fix things up: new blinds, new lawnmower, an axe, and some other yard tools. I wish I still had that axe, but I sold it in a garage sale when I was selling my house. My Pop was always handy with fixing things, building things, and just being available to help. I still have a lot of things he either built or rebuilt. I have two of his old hammers and some other tools, hand-me-downs I will always cherish.

Pop’s health had been failing for several years. He was tired and ready to go. I would have loved to have been in heaven last Friday when my Nana and Pop were reunited after ten years of separation. I feel quite certain Jesus had a grand party in their honor, as I’m certain He does for us all when we finally make it home.

I hope they took pictures.