In the final months of her life, my Grandma Kate asked this
question: Will the dear ones in my family, the ones I love so much, remember me
once I have gone?
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| Carnival glass tea cup |
She had little material wealth. So Grandma Kate went to a household auction.
My cousin Barry and I were known as the “twin cousins.” Even
though we lived miles apart, we were Grandma Kate’s grandchildren born just
hours apart.
I do not know how she answered her question for every child
and grandchild of hers. But for Barry and me, she purchased two budget-priced
carnival glass tea cups. She gave each of us a beautifully colored cup.
This was in the late 1960s. Recently, at a family funeral,
Barry asked me if I still had my cup. Of course, I told him. It sits in a place
of prominence on my desk. The inscription says: “From a friend.”
When I look at that cup, I often reflect upon how personal
her gift of love became to both Barry and me.
As I ponder the magnitude of her gift, my mind moves to
God’s supreme gift of love to us – God’s very own son, Jesus Christ. Surely, no
gift could be more personal than one’s own child.
Grandma’s gift also reminds me of Jesus’ words of communion
at his last supper: “Do this for the remembrance of me.” Jesus could have
easily used Grandma’s inscription on his communion cup: “From a Friend.”
Craig Hellyer is
married to Lindy. They live in Davenport.
