It is hard to believe it was a year ago today, January 20, that God sent His angels to escort the soul of my precious nine-year old grandson, Stone, to a place of peace and happiness. Amid the indescribable pain of the loss on that day, my heart found, and still finds, great comfort in knowing he was, and is, in the loving arms of God, and that all is well.
Through the years, when our grandchildren would visit Denise and me, they would cry when they would have to leave and would say, “Pa and Granna, we are going to miss you so bad.” I would say to them, “I am not going to miss you. I am going to REMEMBER YOU SO GOOD. We have had so much fun together while you were here. We have made so many happy memories together that every time I think about you I am going to smile. So, when you start to feel sad because you are not with Pa and Granna, just remember the fun we had and it will make you happy instead of sad.” Alahna and Stone are the oldest of our grandchildren so they helped hone and enhance our “remembering you so good” approach to life. And, we refuse to have any other approach to life.
Life is filled with good and bad, happiness and sadness, ups and down. We have to choose which we focus on and what we remember. Stone was such a good boy. He brought us so much happiness and taught us so many wonderful things about life. Being around him lifted all of our spirits. Stone’s death was so tragic. The loss brought so much sadness. The void his death has left is inescapable and unspeakable. So now I must choose: do I remember his wonderful life or do I allow the sadness of his death to rob me of those wonderful memories? I choose to “REMEMBER HIM SO GOOD.”
I remember so good his infectious, yet mischievous smile! I could not look at him, nor can I think of him, without smiling back at him.
I remember so good the breathless excitement in his voice when he would describe how he felt about a new puppy, game, gift, or experience! Denise and I kept one of his “breathless messages” he left on our phone for months, and would laugh together every time we would listen to it. We still replay those “messages” in our mind. And, we still laugh!
I remember so good a little brother who absolutely adorned his older sister, Alahna, and how inseparable they were. The love the two of them had for each other was unlike any set of siblings I have ever witnessed. We captured so many pictures that depict their closeness and our minds are filled with the treasured narratives that go with each of those pictures.
I remember so good a son who loved his parents unconditionally. In a world filled with so much disrespect, discontent, and ingratitude, it was refreshing to witness how Stone was so respectful toward, content with, and grateful for his parents (and grandparents). He had an amazing attitude of love and respect. Though he didn’t hide his displeasure when he received discipline, he had an amazing ability to process why he received correction and would thank his parents for teaching him to be a better person. Well, Stone, little buddy, you have taught your Pa how to be a better person. Stone has taught all of us how to love our heavenly Father unconditionally.
I remember so good a little boy who had the heart of God, had God in his heart, and was truly a gift from God. He was fascinated by God’s creation and was a fascinating example of what it means to be created in the image of God.
I remember soooo good… this day and every day, my grandson, STONE LEE MARTIN.
And, I remember SO GOOD, this day and every day, my heavenly Father, who is SO GOOD to me. Thank you Father, for the nine precious years that we were privileged to have Stone, the cherished memories we made together, and the confidence that we will be with him again, for I know, “Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). And, I can say, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? ... But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:55-57).
The flood of harsh tears which sting my eyes when I think of the one who we no longer have with us are absorbed by the soft tissues of the good remembrances of the one we were privileged to have had with us and with whom we will get to be with again.