Remembering Grandma Walch

Saturday will mark five years since the Walch side of my family gathered together to say farewell to my grandmother. In some respects, time has flown by and yet it seems like yesterday that we were gathering to say goodbye.

There have been many people who have influenced my life, but no one comes close to my grandmother. She was always there for all of us grandkids and ready to guide us with love, patience and a rap on the head if we got out of control.

Earlier this week as I was doing the layout for our Sunday evening bulletin at church, I noticed that one of our pastors had chosen the hymn "Softly and Tenderly" as the "Gospel hymn" and memories came flooding back of the last few days of caring for my grandmother. It was one of her favorite hymns and I hope that she has many opportunities to sing it uninterrupted by the cacophony of life with the Walch kids, grandkids, great-grandkids and so on....

Yesterday even more memories of the rambunctious times I shared with my brother and cousins surfaced yet again when discussing the theme of our upcoming Easter service. Evidently, "Little Bunny Foo-Foo" was entered as a "placeholder"for the sermon-- unless our lead pastor really does think that LBFF would be a good theme. One of my friends on staff mentioned that he had no idea who/what LBFF is. When I got home I asked Emily if she remembered the story of LBFF and for the rest of the evening strains of LBFF echoed throughout the house and my memories of summer days on the swings at the farm, repeatedly singing verse after verse of LBFF with my cousins-- much to grandma's dismay. For those who know the song/story, you are sure to admit that a little of LBFF goes a very long way.

So to grandma, if you are looking down on your family tonight, may the joyous voices singing just one more round of LBFF fill your heart tonight and all the while may strains of "Softly and Tenderly" fill the hearts of those you have always held dear. I know I can speak for everyone when I say that I love you and miss you more than words can say.