November 22, 1922 – September 29, 2008
My Dearest Baby Girl,
I’m writing to you today because I want to take this time to tell you about my grandma, your Great-Grandma Prince. Eli and I just recently got back from attending her funeral in Arkansas. It was a difficult trip to make, mostly do to the logistics of things, but it was a good trip too. I have so many great memories of the many trips I’ve made to Arkansas over my lifetime, going to Grandma and Grandpa’s house but the future trips will never be the same as both Grandma and Grandpa are now in heaven.
While there, many of the family had the opportunity to go back to their old farm house. I think we were all a bit surprised to see how the house seemed to have shrunk after all those years. Wow, were there ever memories that filled my mind. I have memories such as running around the yard chasing cousins. Then there was the time I slid down the slide and somehow cut my leg open on a piece of the metal and I’ll never forget Grandma pouring salt into my open leg. I still have the scare to show for it. One of my favorite childhood memories was of the summer I stayed with Grandma and Grandpa. They reminded me that summer how important hard work really is and how it builds character. As I stood in the hot sun picking up chunks out of their fields, that’s right, not the garden but the fields. Even though they farmed a few hundred acres, I know I didn’t pick out every chunk from every single acre but it sure did seem like it and I especially didn’t realize at the time, that it was building my character. We worked hard that summer but we also had some real fun times too. You see Grandma was the craftiest grandma there ever was. She loved to sew, to paint and do all kinds of incredible things with her hands and I loved to be right there beside her, watching and participating however I could.
At Grandma’s funeral the pastor did something that I have never seen done at a funeral before and I loved it. He stood up and read Proverbs 31:10-31 and he challenged us to see how many of those same characteristics we have seen in Grandma’s life. I sat there in awe as he proceeded through the verses, I was listening to him describe my grandma perfectly. I felt like this part of the funeral service was planned, by God, just for me. You see I’ve always seen Proverb’s 31 as my life passage. This passage goes way back for me to when I was in high school and had to memorize this passage for my home economics class. My life desire is to be a Proverbs 31 woman and so this has been the passage of scripture that I use as a plumb-line for who I want to be. Interestingly enough I’ve only used Proverbs 31 as a plumb-line for myself. I’ve never before held this passage of scripture up against any of the other important women in my life.
I’ve since had the time to sit back down and re-read this familiar chapter from my Grandma’s own Bible and I see that not only is this exactly who my Grandma was but it is who my Mom is and it’s who I so desperately want to be.
Oh sweet Emma, I pray that you will grow up to be the virtuous woman that God longs for you to be. Also, I’m so sorry that you will never know Grandma Prince here on this earth and that there is one less virtuous woman for you to look up to but I pray that your life will be touched by many Proverbs 31 women as my life has been.
I love you forever and always,
Momma
