Jan 5, 2011

A Homecoming Christmas.

I may have mentioned on Monday about a little something special my husband did for me this Christmas. I just didn't tell you what it was. But I'm about to.

Because once in a while a husband really, really gets it right.

Not all the time, mind you. There was, as I have mentioned before, the "pancho" incident of 2004. There was the time he bought me a low-cal/low-fat cookbook for Mother's Day (Uh, hello? Offensive!) . And more times than not his gifts have come with batteries and the need for an electrical outlet.

But not this time, this time he did good.

Because this Christmas, my sweet Attorney General, made sure I spent Christmas with all my family. Every little one of them.

He brought Elisha to me.

Just before Christmas, because he is a kid at heart and can't stand for a good surprise to be held in for over 24 hours (and I love that about him) he grabbed my hand and drug me to the car. He said he wanted to show me something and just couldn't wait another minute. And with all the expectations in the world to see that a neighbor had bought a new car - or a new house was going up down the street - or someone close by was smoking some kind of special meat - I jumped in the car so he could take me to what he was so excited about.

Only he drove me to a cemetery.

And showed me the fresh dirt. Turned over and packed down. With the headstone we had created only 5 years ago that very month. And beneath it was our boy.

And within seconds my knees hit the earth that only moments before I had been standing on. And I began to cry. Because everyone, absolutely everyone, was now home.

I did not know he was doing this. I probably would have been a wreck had I known. The questions of the "how" and "when" and "will they" and "are they" would have haunted me every second, so wisely, he chose to leave me out of it. And do it himself. He made the calls, he made the arrangements and he took my hand and lead me out to where I finally felt peace - such peace.

To make it all the more sweeter Elisha isn't in a plot all by himself. He is sharing one, with my little brother Christopher; their two caskets barely make up the full length of one adult and so there, in the same sweet ground as my brother, lay my son. Behind him is my Pawpaw and to the left of him, my uncle Donald.

All of them are buried in a small, country cemetery less than 2 miles from my home with some of my family and some very special friends buried amongst them. And as I turned to leave that evening, holding my sweet husbands hand, I couldn't help but feel that somewhere in Tennessee there were ships burning.

Not that I don't love Tennessee, oh how I do. But finally, it felt as if I could burn the ships that were holding me down there. Because a year or two or three or a hundred can go by in another place, but until a mother has all her babies home, something just doesn't feel right.

And so that night, as we drove back home, I thought about the ships. And in my minds eye I watched them burn. And I thought to myself, "We're here now. We are all here. We are in Texas now, every one of us. I have both of my hands and both of my feet and all of my heart. Right here. In this Texas earth."

And then I kissed the AG. For a really long time.

19 comments:

Givinya De Elba said...

Oh my, Melissa. What a surprise. that AG is a good man. What an amazing Christmas present!

Crazy Me said...

I read another mom's blog on Christmas morning on how they spend their morning at the cemetary with their baby and thought of you and how hard it must be not having your little boy near you. Little did I know how amazing your husband is.

Shonya said...

Tears. Sounds like a mighty fine man you've got there!

G.B. said...

What an unbelievable gift he gave you. As soon as I started reading I thought..he moved their son! I got all teared up reading about it...you have such an amazing gift for the written word...thank you for always blessing me through your blog...sometimes with laughter and other times with tears! Glad you are all together at last!!!

Anonymous said...

So as I cry, and the tears stream down my face reading this, I look up to see the most beautiful snow falling here in TN.....
God is truly amazing!!!!!!
Love and prayers - TN still misses you!
Jennifer Kitchens

Fran said...

Tears.....

Hugs for you......

You have a wonderful husband.

Fran

katy said...

ok, tears are streaming down my face...what a PRECIOUS gift from your husband...so happy for you that you are all "together"!

amykey said...

Oh my dear sweet friend Melissa, my heart is filled to the brim with love for the AG right now. God must have tenderly whispered in his ear. I've never heard of anyone doing this and am in awww of your precious family.

Amy said...

That is AMAAAAZING..that he would do that for you...and him. What a good man. Im so glad you have all your babies home. <3

Rachel said...

I am at a loss for words so i will just say this, Amazing.

Teresa said...

I have no words. Speechless. That's what I am. I am so happy you have your boy with you. But, I'll be honest. I'm a little sad that I won't get to visit him now. Truly the sweetest gift I've ever heard of. : )

Cyndy Bush said...

I am covered in chills. Like, I am one giant chill bump. He can give you an ironing board every year for Christmas from now on, because he is GOLDEN. This was the ultimate gift.
I am happy for you!

Sissy said...

Melissa,
I have been reading you for a long time and I know how meaningful this moment must have been for you. I am getting choked up just reading it. Well, choked up and singing some Steven Curtis Chapman. Your husband knew what your heart needed and I am so proud of you for sharing this. And I can't even imagine what happened when your momma found out what he was doing. Oh. My. God.

I love your family and totally wish we could meet in real life some day!

Jenny said...

Sweet friend - there are unspilled tears and a knot so thick in my throat I can't swallow. That's a might good man you have there. I'm so glad that you and your boy are back together again.

Wade's World said...

I'm just in tears reading this. What a sweet, sweet man you have.

Amy Sullivan said...

What a cool blog and amazing story! Love the verse in your header. I've never read that verse in the message and it is awesome. Also, your profile write-up killed me. I am in full agreement with the scrapbooking thing, but being an outdoor girl, I must say, a TV to watch the Miss America pagent? How funny!

Glad to find you through Saturday Sampling.

Emily said...

How loving and thoughtful of your husband. I'm so glad he could give you comfort.

Maria said...

Love it, so happy and full of tears. What a wonderful, wonderful man. Kiss him for a really, really long time some more. And yes, TN misses you.

StitchinByTheLake said...

I've waited a few days to comment on this post because I wanted to be sure I get the words right. Not that I will, I'm just hoping. Sometimes God leans down and whispers in our ears something He wants us to do. Mostly we don't listen. Or we pretend we don't hear because we don't want to go to the trouble or we don't want to be wrong or we don't want to look goofy in someone else's eyes. Your sweet husband is a listener. That is your true gift Melissa. A husband who listens for God's whispers and then is obedient is worth more than gold, more than rubies, yes even more than diamonds. Treasure that gift our gracious Father has given you. blessings, marlene