legacy for our grandkids
I never knew how very much I was going to love being a Mamey. My mama started telling me how amazing grandchildren were once her first one was born. That first grandchild for them was my oldest daughter, Meagan. They went on to have 9 more grandchildren. Meagan is now 35…how in the world did that happen? I am not that old! But time does not slow down, and it only seems to be going by faster. Fast-forward to now and my parents are now great-grandparents to 15 precious littles. Their tribe has grown from the OG 5 to each of their children (me and my brothers) married and out of all our children, all but 2 are married and most of them have children. We are a very blessed family, and my parents are leaving a legacy that is special.
Mark and I got our first grandchild when Mark was healthy and active. I am so thankful for those first couple of years because they have become to mean so much to me. Ethan came to me and yes, I mean me, when he was 1. Mal met Joshua and his son Ethan was almost 1. I instantly fell in love with that precious little man. It took him a couple of times to love me but once he did, that was it. He became my 2nd favorite person, outside of his Pappy. He was a bright spot when he brought his daddy and Malory to visit us at the ranch. He loved the ranch. He fished with Pappy, fed the horses and longhorns, and even renamed them. He ran our dogs all over the 10 acres we had. He shot his first gun at our gun range and learned how to drive the golf cart. I taught him when he was 4! That was an awesome lesson, and he did so well. We loved riding on the golf cart together. He picked up around the ranch for his Pappy and made money for his piggy bank. He was 5 when Mark passed. He is now 8. He has grown so much but not enough that he still doesn’t want to crawl up in my lap.
Allie, who was 9 months, is now 4. She was the light of her Pappy’s heart. He got to hold and love on her for 9 months. She is a fireball and keeps us laughing. She is so animated and has a great imagination. Her brothers are her favorite, and her stuffed animals are a close second. Daniel was 3 days old, and Mark got to meet him by FaceTime. He is now 3. Marissa and Shane were in Colorado Springs and got to introduce their son to his Pappy. I can’t imagine how Marissa did that knowing her daddy would never meet Daniel in person, but she did great. I know there have been so many tears shed over that. He is so smart and loves to read. He has memorized most of his books. I can’t miss a word reading to him because he corrects me, and he is right! Ace came next and he is now 2. If you know what Mark looked like, you would be looking at his twin. Actually, his twin is his mama so Ace must be the triplet. When I sent a picture after he was born to my mama and Mark’s mom, they both texted me right back and said he looked just like his Pappy. If you look at Mark’s baby pics and Ace’s side by side, they are identical. My mama said if she believed in reincarnation, which she does not, she would think God sent Mark back to us in Ace. He is the most loving of the bunch so far. He grabs hold and doesn’t let go. The last to the party was our Byrdie, and she is the best caboose we could have asked for. She is already 20 months old. She is happy most of the time, but man can she have an attitude. Do not cross her! But when she smiles, she lights up the room and it’s contagious. She keeps her brother Daniel on his toes.
One of the things that I know will come in the future will be talking about Mark to the grandkids. Ethan still remembers Pappy, but I know that may fade over time. I am thankful for pictures and video we have of him and some with Allie. My heart hurts at times because my grandkids will never get to know what an amazing, loving, and caring family man their Pappy was. He would have loved our grandchildren. We were so looking forward to helping our daughters raise them because we know it takes a village. As I think of what I will share with the grandkids there are a few things I want them to know about Mark.
First, I want them to know that he loved the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. He always put the Lord first and he never faltered in that. If you knew Mark, you knew his love for his heavenly Father and wanted everyone to know. He was faithful to trust God even to the very end. He continued reading his bible and studying. He could quote scripture and reference. He amazed me. I can quote the verse, but the references still allude me at times.
Second, I want them to know what a great family man he was. He loved me and our daughters with a passion that was wonderful. To say he was a great girl dad was an understatement. He thrived in being a girl dad and he put me to shame. Maybe because I am a girl and I know how we think! They all had him wrapped around their fingers, but he loved it. He always said he knew when they were trying to manipulate him, but he let them get away with it, most of the time. He knew when enough was enough. He was the calm in the storm, and he led our family well.
Third, he was a man who didn’t just go to a job, but he loved his job. It did take him a bit to find what he was called to do but once he did, that was it. Before that though, where he worked, he worked. He didn’t miss work often and he worked with integrity. He wasn’t perfect but he was raised with the mindset to do your job and do it to the best of your ability. You give it your all. Once he surrendered to ministry that was it for him. He had found his calling. He loved the local church and being a part of building something. He loved being with God’s people and working with those who wanted to grow in their relationship with the Lord.
The last few years we were at the ranch working with my parents in their ministry were some of his favorite years. For one, he was out in the country and away from the noise. He coached many men through various situations and coached hundreds of couples in their marriages. He was outside working most days along with working in the office. He loved being outside and learning new things at the ranch. He was in his element. He never veered off talking about the Lord and making sure those he counseled and talked to knew where his faith was.
Fourth, I want my grandkids to know you can finish well. Mark always believed God was going to heal him. He knew God had a plan and even though at times he struggled, he never lost trust in God. He was a man that had big faith and up to the very last breath he took, I know he was praising the Lord. Two weeks before he passed, he was sitting on the couch in our living room. He looked at me and said he didn’t think he was going to make it. I looked at him with tears in my eyes and asked if he was giving up? He said no, but he was tired. My heart broke in that moment, but I knew he was. He had fought so hard, but he was done. I truly believe that he knew in that moment it was going to be ok even though he wasn’t going to be here much longer. He had faith that God was going to heal him, but it was going to be in heaven and not here. I went and hugged him as we both cried and were heartbroken. I thanked him for an amazing life and for all he had done for me and our family. We told each other we loved each other and that was enough. We didn’t talk about it again. Two weeks later, after meeting our precious Daniel Mark, I held his hand while he took his last breath. I believe as he entered heaven and met his heavenly Father, he heard the words, “well done thy good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.”
Finally, I will let them know he was a funny man who loved dad jokes and his favorite was making up pirate jokes. He loved embarrassing the girls at school, and he was faithful to take them lunch every week for most of their school years. He went to midnight premieres with the girls to the movies they had to see. He loved Hallmark movies especially at Christmas. I told you he was a great girl dad! He was corny and a bit of a geek, maybe more than a bit. My brothers still get a kick out of how he said hello. He had an amazing smile and was kind to everyone. I will let them know some of those stories and more as will their mothers and aunt, I am sure.
I will let them know their Pappy left a legacy they can be proud of. He wasn’t perfect but these are some of the things I want to pass to our grandchildren.
What legacy will you leave? I hope I will stay faithful to the one Mark and I started and one day my precious grandchildren will say of their Pappy and Mamey, they were faithful to the end. I couldn’t ask for more.
Confident in His love
Isaiah 54:10
