When my Mother told me of the death of my Grandmother, my mind went back to all of the times I had spent with her. Mostly my thoughts were of my childhood. I don’t know if anyone can ever guess or know the influence, good or bad they have on others. I can honestly say that my Grandma Della Hughes, was a good and Godly example to me. I could write of many things I remember of her. Of her laugh, which I might add, I loved. Her sorrow, which I am sorry to say, she experienced alot of. The regrets that she told me she had of things that happened in her life. Or of the joy she had in serving the Lord. The love she had for her family and the pride she felt when hearing her son, my Dad, preach.
I will tell you of the nights Grandma and I spent on the porch swinging. It was our little ritual, just me and her.
Through out my life, whenever I would stay with her, I would go out onto the porch late in the evening and swing,
and listen to the sounds of the night, to the sounds of the country. The crickets and frogs and so on. Usually I
wouldn’t be out there too long before Grandma would join me on the swing. I would lay my head on her lap and
we would swing. We loved it! Especially if it was raining.
Sometimes we would talk, other times we would listen to the sounds and gaze at the stars overhead.
Many times Grandma would talk of heaven. How she wanted to go there, of all the family and friends she wanted
to be reunited with. She would say, “Oh Ritchie Dee, we will be so happy over there. And we won’t ever have
to say goodbye again.”
I never said anything, but inside my heart would swell. I would think “Oh Grandma, I want to go too.” I know that my Grandmother wasn’t afraid of death, and when she died, I thought, she has made it. She’s finally there. She is in heaven now.
I walked outside, it was late at night. I could hear the crickets and I smiled. I was so happy to hear them.
It reminded me of her. I was sorry to see Grandma go, yet happy, for I know she is so happy now. Heaven
gained a saint and I lost a friend.
Rich Sutherland