Bethany Boyd is the daughter of my youngest brother, Ben. A few days ago she penned these lines for my mother. We printed them with the Order of Service for Mom's funeral services, and I wanted to share them with all who read the post below.

HB

August 2, 2009

Dear Mama Ne,

You are Springtime. You are the encouragement of flowers, the reminder of new life, and everything I hope to bloom into. You are rains that refresh those who are in need of love, and sunshine that warms the faces of those who are near you. I wish I had been able to be near you more often, and learned from your wisdom. But I think because I was with you less frequently, our times together were burned into who I am, and will continue to warm me throughout my life. I can hear your laugh, feel your soft feminine hands, and see your smile that made your blue eyes sparkle. You are so beautiful Mama Ne, so beautiful.

I feel you Mama Ne. When I write a paper, when I look at a sunset, when Dad tells me to be considerate of others. You are in so much of my life. I hear you encouraging me, telling me I can be better, comforting me, telling me things will turn out alright, and loving me, telling me I am lovely. You rush through who I am, inside my veins, throughout my heart.

I wish you didn't have to be sick, or say goodbye, but it is impossible to really say goodbye to someone who will not leave you because of the impact they left on your soul. You may go to see King Jesus, but I won't stop feeling you in my life, until I come to be with you as well.

You taught me to love as Jesus loved, throrgh the consistent example of your life and I will always strive to be just like you, as I live each day of my life. Thank you for your devotion to the Lord. What a blessing it was to grow up seeing a life so surrendered to Christ and his will for you. As I strive to be closer to Jesus, I will always be able to shut my eyes and picture you, still so in love with the Lord, that every time the cross was mentioned, your eyes began to glisten with tears. I hope i never lose the wonder of the cross, just as you never did. To you, the good news of Calvary was ever fresh and ever incredible. I pray His love and forgiveness would remains to me as dear as it always was to you.

I love you Mama Ne. I love you as a princess that you were to me when I was five, I love you as the best friend and always compassionate listener that you were to me when I was fourteen, and I love you as the new creation in Christ, completely forgiven, beautifully white in the robes of His mercy, that you are to me now. Our memories are held as precious gems,