Not sure how to say what I really want to say. Or maybe, I’m afraid. All I do know; is how I feel each time a friend loses a parent. Sadness and grief are accompanied by anxiousness.

Thoughts immediately turn to my own parents. Questions roll into more questions. The past, the present, how much time…it happened again this week.

A text from my dear friend, Traci.
My dad went to be with Jesus.
His battle was short.
Please pray for my mom and our family.

Her dad, also known as PaPa Chuck, was quite a character. Very tall, ornery, and confident. He was a hard worker. The provider and glue that held his family together. And if you happened to be within his reach, you were loved well.

We were always treated like part of the family by him and his sweet wife, Linda (Nanny.) But one story stands out.

After five years, a new job took us to a new town. Chuck and Linda followed us and the moving truck. Not only did they help unload and set up, but they also left us with a special gift.

Our rental house was rather sad. Not much of a dining area. And anyway, we had sold our dining set in the moving sale. But somehow, they knew that would not do. And before leaving town, they purchased a folding card table and chairs for us.

I was so thankful. Thankful for something I did not even realize how much we needed.

There is something special about a family seated around a table. Eating, talking, laughing, crying. And our blue card table and chairs became the place for some new family traditions. Saturday morning pancakes. Snacks after school. Lunches with new friends.

They were also a symbol of the love that traveled with us those twenty years ago. Love that covers time, distance, and even death.