Why I love Board Games and Candy

My dad's mother has always been Momo to me. During my summer visits as a child, we would play board games for hours and days on end. At the coffee table, on the porch or continued between. I always assumed the enjoyment was mutually great, but as an adult, I realize there was a great deal of patience involved, not to mention love. Somewhere along the line, another staple became m&m's. We'd eat them as we visited and get a few bags to carry home. Between the homemade donuts and the candy, I nurtured my natural love for sweets in Momo's house.

I described Popo in this earlier post when he passed away less than a year ago. After so many decades together, it was no wonder that Momo's heart was broken beyond repair without her partner. With each conversation after Popo's passing, it became more clear that her one desire was to be at home with Jesus and Popo. Selfishly, I wanted just a little longer. This week, I planned to take advantage of Mary's spring break by having her watch Sophia so I could take a trip to see Momo for a couple of days. We were both excited about the possibility, although she was disappointed that Sophia wouldn't join me. Every conversation started like this. Me: "How are you today?" Momo: "Oh, I'm okay. How's our little girl? What's she doing?" One of her favorite stories was about the time that we came to visit when Sophia was just learning to walk and how she toddled directly into Popo's waiting arms. It was a good memory for both Momo and Popo, and I plan to remind Sophia of how loved she was by her great grandparents.

I will make the trip to Illinois this week, but it won't be the one I planned. After having a stroke on Friday, Momo finally had her broken heart restored this morning. Now she is completely whole in the arms of Jesus. I wil miss her greatly, especially when I spot (and eat) a bag of her trademark m&m's.