Welcome Home, Love!

After two weeks away, I was back home to T-Town, and saw that my yellow rose bush was blooming. I know it's Spring, but, in my own little world, I like to think that it being in bloom was a special gift from my Sweetheart in heaven. Yellow roses were a big deal for us during our 44-years of marriage. Our wedding flowers were yellow roses, I was his "Yellow Rose of Texas", we planted a yellow rose bush in every home we ever lived in, and when I would return home from any trip I was away from him, he always had a yellow rose waiting for me with a sweet note "Welcome Home, Love!". Those precious traditions still keep me cherishing the memories we made.

Maybe there are new (or even seasoned) widows or widowers reading this and wondering if life will ever get easier for you. My answer is "yes, no, yes, no, YES!" In the beginning it feels like a roller coaster ride -- going up, up, up with laughter and thanksgiving for the sweet memories, and sometimes down, down, down when you hear "your" song or smell his favorite cologne on someone, or experience Valentines, birthdays, anniversaries, Thanksgivings, Christmases -- without him or her. Other times, when you're embracing family, friends, sweet times and making new memories -- there's the tendency to almost feel guilty for feeling so happy.

After almost 5-1/2 years since my Sweetheart graduated to heaven, I can assure you that, if you'll embrace the journey that you are still on and know, without a shadow of a doubt that you are still on assignment, you will experience JOY again. Happiness equates to external things like your favorite TV program NOT getting interrupted when the storm comes through town or when your doctor gives you a 2-thumbs up because your medical tests were negative or when you get a bonus check in the mail. But JOY is that internal place of joy and peace that comes to stay, regardless of external circumstances, because God and His joy and peace live inside you. I promise you, joy will come to you when you accept it as a gift like nothing ever given to you before.

I know your journey and my journey may be completely different, but if you'll practice gratitude and watch for all the sweet kisses from heaven like I did yesterday when I saw those yellow roses, you, too, will see beauty in the flowers and the blooming trees, you'll laugh with children, you'll start being a light to others and you might even dance in the rain. It's been raining a lot lately, so why not put on those dancing shoes -- and DANCE?

Psalm 30:11-12 "You have turned my mourning into dancing. You took off my sackcloth and clothed me with a garment of joy, so that I may sing praise to You, and not remain silent. Lord, my God, I will give You thanks forever."

The Yellow Rose of Texas Still Blooms

Day 123 of Photo Inspirations -- The Yellow Rose of Texas Still Blooms
To my joy, yesterday morning, after having been away for 20 days, I stepped out on my patio and there were my fragrant and beautiful yellow roses in bloom.  To some that would be "no big deal", but as in every year since we were married, the yellow roses represented our favorite color -- yellow (my Honey always called me his "Yellow Rose of Texas") and yellow were the colors in our wedding.   Every home we lived in thereafter, we always planted a yellow rose bush.  This photo is the bush I planted at my new home.  I'm carrying on the tradition we began almost 50 years ago.  And, of course, when I see it, I'm reminded of my first love.  I even go so far as to conjure up the idea that, perhaps, it was he that made sure I had yellow roses in bloom when I returned home.

While I was away, two special men graduated to heaven -- Uncle Hugo Litke, who was a mentor and favorite uncle of my husband.  He lived a full and long life. And, also graduating to heaven was a dear friend, Ray Elston.  Both of these precious men went to heaven in advance of their wives -- each of whom knew the love that my Honey and I shared.  They also had a "forever love".  The good news is we'll all be back together again for a joyous celebration of being "home" together forever.

When I think about those three men, I like to think they are laughing and celebrating being home.  Heaven is a wonderful place.....and, best of all, as Rick Warren says, "We were made for it."

Unfortunately, so many people see in death nothing but a cruel separation from loved ones.  But, it is so much more than that.  We are born for heaven and we end this life of tears to begin our life of endless happiness.  Death has not destroyed our loved ones, nor carried them away.  Rather it is has given them life -- a life with power to know fully and to love perfectly.

The tears that dampen our eyes in times of mourning, are tears of homesickness, tears of longing for our loved ones.  But it is we who are away from home, not they!  Death has been for them a doorway to an eternal home.  They are still with us, lovingly and tenderly waiting for the day when we, too, will enter the doorway of our eternal home.  For us who believe, death is a preparation for eternal union with those we love, in the peace and joy of heaven.   We were made for heaven. We were made to last forever.

But, in the meantime, while we are still on this side of heaven.....we continue to finish our assignments well and also, along the way -- to stop and smell the roses!  I assure you, that's the way this "Yellow Rose of Texas" lives each day enroute to my heavenly home....and by the way, there....our yellow roses will never fade.

The Yellow Rose of Texas

These are my yellow roses -- the season openers -- spectacular in fragrance and beauty! I was my Sweetheart's “Yellow Rose of Texas”. So, it made sense that our wedding color was yellow, and the flowers we chose were yellow roses. In every home we lived in – we always planted yellow roses as a reminder! Once again, though my Sweetheart is no longer here on this side of heaven, I still planted yellow roses at this new house. It’s a sweet reminder of the many years of love we shared. I cherish the sweet traditions that were just "ours". It's amazing how important, and even sacred, many of those things were to us, and, now, even more so to me. Those traditions continue to bring me so much joy as I continue to go down Memory Lane. That's why I get on my soapbox, and keep telling all my peeps "cherish the moments and make lots of memories because you'll have them to hold you until you're spending eternity together!!" Speaking from experience -- you'll be so glad you did!!