I think we’d all be surprised at how welcoming others would be to our encouragement if we’d just do it more. Because who doesn’t appreciate encouragement? I’m open to all I can get. 🙂

I know what you mean…without their physical presence, there is definitely a loss. And we feel it, even if we know in other ways they are still with us.

I felt about my mother towards the end like you do with your m-i-l. She didn’t speak much and it was hard to know how “with us” she really was. 🙁 Thankfully she didn’t have to linger long in that phase. I continue to pray for you and Jim as you walk this road. It can be so unpredictable and hard to plan for, but I know you have consistently shown so much love and care for her as you would have your own mother if she had been here in that situation.

I’m glad you felt peace through it, Tracy. I love how the Lord does that for us.

I saw the pictures last week on your blog of your new grandbaby! Beautiful. How exciting for you. Lots of fun in the years ahead. 🙂 Congratulations.

I’m sorry those three women are all gone but I’m glad they were each able to pour into you while they were here, as I’m sure you poured back into them.

It’s great that you are close to your daughter’s m-i-l. I got to spend time with my own daughter’s m-i-l last weekend and I always enjoy it. God is good to keep our lives full of people we need.

My granny is the woman who is still “here” even though she lives in Heaven now. I can still hear her say so much through memories!

The ladies who keep me going? I’m kind of in the season where I have lots of people to encourage, but maybe not so many in real life to encourage em. I get tons of encouragement from godly blogger ladies!

I can get really irritated when someone on a TV show comforts someone else whose loved one has died by saying, “Your loved one isn’t really gone: they’re with you in your heart always.” Just recently I answered out loud, “Yes, they ARE really gone! That’s what hurts!” Yet over time their influence and memories do remain even as the physical ache of their absence lessens.

My daughter had a new baby on the 5th June makes me twice as old 🙂