There are a handful of things in this world that bring the people who inhabit it a great amount of joy without them even realizing it. These things bring a joy so instantaneous and temporary that you've forgotten it within ten seconds. Some of these things might be the first bite of your favorite food, watching a child go sledding for the first time, or putting on a sweatshirt that just came out of the dryer. One of my personal favorites, though, is the split second when you first see someone you love coming down the jetway after getting off of an airplane. I've usually been waiting for quite awhile between the hour and a half drive to the airport and the waiting for the person to step off the plane. And for that split second, your joy is so overwhelming you just can't contain it.
This summer we were privileged enough to have two young girls from Hong Kong stay with my family for two weeks. They were 10 and 11 and some of our most joyous memories of the whole summer were during those two weeks - they got to see fireflies for the first time, eat lots of ice cream and fruit (as those weren't things they ate much of at home) and run barefoot in the grass (also something they can't do, living in apartment buildings in Asia) and this was an incredible reminder of the joys that I take for granted, having the opportunity to do those things all the time.
When we first met Suki and Cathy, we got to go pick them up from the airport. Their plane arrived around 10 pm, and if you've ever been in the Kansas City airport, you will understand that the host families for 20 students from Hong Kong plus parent chaperones adds up to more people than usually inhabit that airport in a week. We looked like a high school tour group, trying to find the right gate and get our welcome signs ready to go. We were led by our 'troop leader' the week, Jacob, a seven year old whose family was hosting two students and he could not have been more excited to get new visitors into his home that he could hang out with for a whole week.
Once we found the right gate, got everyone situated.... we waited. And we waited, and waited, and waited some more. We finally saw an aircraft pulling up to the gate (again, this is Kansas City, it's pretty easy to tell when a plane pulls up whether it is yours or not.) We had been waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Jacob got on someone's shoulders while yelling "Places, people!" (seriously, you have to meet this kid) And then....
We waited. This plane must have pulled some Harry Potter tricks because what felt like thousands of people piled off this plane before we could see the heads of 20 ten year old students with their supervisors following closely behind. Chaos, Anxiousness, and Joy ensued as the kids were tired from an entire day of travel, and we tried to pair kids up with the right host family.. sleep deprived and shy ten year olds who weren't super confident in their English.
Finally. Finally, after five months of having Cathy and Suki's pictures on our fridge.. they were here. After studying their papers to know which foods they liked and didn't like, what they were afraid of, and what they wanted to do while they were in the United States, we were so ready to show them absolutely everything we had to offer - these two young girls that we had never even met, and only got to 'borrow' for two weeks.
This week, my family has been dealing with the painful process of saying goodbye to my Aunt Bobbie. As long as I can remember, Aunt "Bobbie" has been in my life and, having no kids of her own, treats her nieces, great nieces, and great great nieces like treasure. At the age of 94, she has done and seen her part of the world and has been asking my mom for the better part of a year when she will be able to see her sisters and her momma again. She is one of six girls, the first one died over fifty years ago, and the most recent one around 8 years ago. I can't imagine being separated from my sister in such a sense for even a day.
Wednesday night my mom called to update me on her status and I cried when I realized this really was the end. She talks about heaven and you should know how unbelievably excited I am for her - but it set in. Being like another grandma to all her nieces, death is never fun - and I don't care what anyone says, it's not natural. Inevitable, yes, natural, no. My mom has been with her each night this week, relieving my grandparents, who spend their days there. I am lucky to have a family who treats one another as such a priority, even though in her last days she was very unaware of her surroundings and gave no response.
I vaguely remember going to visit Aunt Bobbie as a child and she still lived independently (with one of her sisters), and the looks on their faces when they opened the door to find my sister and I standing there were looks of pure joy that I know I will never get out of my mind. (I still have this same picture of my great grandma, who died when I was 5 - it's one of my few memories, and it's a good one) They would always invite us into their home and we would tell them about school and life. While we talked, they would go to the bathroom and get a Dixie cup and fill it with M&M's (and when mom wasn't looking they filled it again) They were the cool aunts, who treasured their nieces for so long.
The bible says that heaven will be a joyous reunion, and until this week, I hadn't allowed myself to paint that picture. Until now, all the people in my adult life who passed away were not ready to leave the world and the grief and sorrow that was left around them was immense. This time, it's a little different. My aunt was EXCITED to leave this world. When I try to put myself in her shoes, I go back to relationships, hopes for my future, and things that I just find downright fun that I'm not ready to give up yet. ... But she's excited.
I imagine my aunt stepping off the plane (or staircase or elevator or boat or whatever) to get into heaven and her sisters running straight at her, because Jesus let them know a few hours before that she was on her way. I imagine her being able to walk again, even run and participate in the world's best group hug. I'm quite sure that my aunt will soon order one of heaven's finest cocktails, and sit down to catch up wit her sisters - for the first time in 70 years. I can't imagine the excitement of her sisters, to know that you are in the greatest place imaginable, where there is no sorrow, pain, or concern about anything other than Jesus himself, and you are summoned down because Jesus needs you in Terminal A to be part of the welcoming party - for someone that you loved dearly and haven't seen in seventy years. For someone who will finally, after seventy years, bring your family of eight back together again.
On the way to heaven, there are no gate changes, delayed flights, or overbooked seats. There is no wandering aimlessly through hallways and staircases to find baggage claim. God calls us to get on the right plane, out of the right gate, and he will multiply the love when we finally get off the plane to step into the arms of those we have loved for the first time in so many years.
This morning, my mom finally called me to let me know that Aunt Bobbie had passed, and after the few momentary tears, I was overcome with excitement. What is she doing? Are her sisters waiting? Is she already there? What will they do tonight and for the rest of the weekend? Today, although sad, I am thankful that this world isn't the end. I'm thankful that my aunt's inability to care for herself physically was temporary, and all her pain is now gone. I am thankful that in her last days, although she only slept, that was actually the hardest part. It was the last part of the international flight where you are overtired, annoyed, and a tad bit hangry.
Last night at dinner my dad and I were talking about what is taking her and God so darn long to agree on a time to go home. She asks to go see her sisters, but then she consistently defies what we are told about her health and always does better. But then, just when we think it's finally here, they tell us 'within a few days' and she's still in consistent condition a week later. I think my mom has told the hospice nurses more than once during the last week 'you don't know my aunt' but when it comes right down to it, I don't know if anyone is actively controlling this timing. My dad and I were talking about how excited we are for her to finally see her sisters again and he said 'they just aren't ready. they're getting her room ready, blowing up balloons and all.'
I know that Jesus has had her picture on His fridge for many years, knowing the all the things about her we spent time learning about Cathy and Suki. He impatiently awaited her arrival, and gathered the appropriate people this afternoon to meet her plane...After 94 years, the vast majority of which have been apart from a number of people she loved, she has finally stepped off the plane to be welcomed home.
No comments:
Post a Comment