I am going to share a love story...
Not between a husband and wife,
Not between a boy and girl.
but one of a Mother, who loved fiercely and gave me so
much in the 18 months I have known her.
The love story is about the Boo's Mom,
Mrs. Barbara Legg.
When I became single and dating, there were a few dates
and short relationships, then I met the Boo, Randy, and
I knew something was different about him.
I didn't realize at the time just how much his life had to
offer me, one being this amazing Mom of his,
Mrs. Barbara.
The first time I met her, she was living with the boo.
He had just recovered from a very extensive knee surgery
which she moved in to care for her oldest son
and she was getting ready to have her own knee replaced.
That special day we met was like many others,
the boo and I had been junking/antiquing and he made
a call to say we were coming over to his home.
As I walked in there was his Mom and one of her
friends, Linda who happened to also be his
sister in law's mom. They sat at the dining table
playing Scrabble, something they both did often together.
From the very first meeting I knew we would be friends.
From day one, she accepted me into the fold of her life,
treated me as though I was one of hers,
loved me as a Mother loves a child...
And did she love her three children,
Randy, Steffanie, and Royce.
She was widowed at a young age and was an independent
woman, much younger than the numbers said she was.
Through the year and a half I was able to be her friend,
we shared many talks, some very deep some just about life
in general. She was a fair woman,
larger than life. At Christmas time, although I knew from
the boo, she would go into a baking frenzy, I still did not
realize just how much she did for her favorite holiday.
Everyone she knew, she baked for. It will be missed for a
long time. Some days I would go early to visit and she would be in
the boo's kitchen baking, sweating but happy as can be.
When the grand girls began the lemonade business in the stand
the boo built them, she baked at least 200 cookies for their opening.
This was not just 200 cookies, they were cookie cutter shapes of
at least 10 different shapes, each iced lovingly in different colors.
There were alligators, lips, lipsticks, ducks, etc.
Being a baker myself, I knew the time and love put in those cookies.
She did this for three little girls she had never met,
So, you can imagine the love she poured on her own three
grand children. She was a hands on Grandmother, spoke of them
and her own children at every conversation.
We became even closer when she decided, having been
recovered from her knee replacement, she decided it was
time to move into her own apartment.
She found a very small, pretty run down place.
Maybe 800 sq. feet. I loved it, others were worried.
Yet, she fixed that little apartment up so sweet,
that even the landlord was shocked.
One of my favorite memories I will always have of her
is the weekend the Boo had the flu.
I went over and she and I went junking for the new apartment.
We found so many deals, but most important were the
conversations we had. We laughed, we even shed a few tears.
That day we bonded even closer.
Having gone to Pensacola for a vacation
and getting very sick, well none of us believed at first
we would loose our "Momma Legg".
After almost a month of "up and down" illnesses,
I wanted to go and see her for myself, tell her I loved her.
When I got to Pensacola on Wednesday, My nursing
knowledge told me, she was not going to pull through this.
Two of her babies were there, Steffani and Royce.
When the doctors told us she could not hold on
much longer, the Boo was on his way.
So many beautiful things happened in
her last 24 hours, things that are private.
At 7:30 am on Thursday, I left the room for coffee
and to give the Boo some time, in those minutes I was
gone, she took her last breath.
Now, each day it hits us, just what we have lost.
The boo and I stayed in Pensacola a few more days
but returning to the cottage, there are memories of her everywhere.
So many things in a year and a half she has given me,
shared with me. I miss her more now.
It has hit me that on this Earth, I will not have another day
with her.
However, I have been fortunate to have been asked if
I want her very spoiled call, Bonnie.
I mean a strange, spoiled cat!
I wanted her so much worried about her and Oliver
but every day, is better than the one before for
us and Bonnie.
Last night, she actually layed in bed with me and
I felt our Barb with me.
There is lots of her in this cat.
Our lives will never be the same,
and I only knew her under two years.
I can only imagine what her three children she adored are feeling.
I do know one thing, she would want us all to
live our best lives possible.
She would believe she went first to make a place
for her children coming after.
She was the glue that held her family together.
She would want her children to remain close.
You will be missed sweet woman.
Your "larger than life" attitude is what I will
miss the most, Our times together when it
was just us two.
Until we meet again,
rest and every once in a while,
give us a sign that you are with us.
I love you, Momma Barb!
Yet, she fixed that little apartment up so sweet,
that even the landlord was shocked.
One of my favorite memories I will always have of her
is the weekend the Boo had the flu.
I went over and she and I went junking for the new apartment.
We found so many deals, but most important were the
conversations we had. We laughed, we even shed a few tears.
That day we bonded even closer.
Having gone to Pensacola for a vacation
and getting very sick, well none of us believed at first
we would loose our "Momma Legg".
After almost a month of "up and down" illnesses,
I wanted to go and see her for myself, tell her I loved her.
When I got to Pensacola on Wednesday, My nursing
knowledge told me, she was not going to pull through this.
Two of her babies were there, Steffani and Royce.
When the doctors told us she could not hold on
much longer, the Boo was on his way.
So many beautiful things happened in
her last 24 hours, things that are private.
At 7:30 am on Thursday, I left the room for coffee
and to give the Boo some time, in those minutes I was
gone, she took her last breath.
Now, each day it hits us, just what we have lost.
The boo and I stayed in Pensacola a few more days
but returning to the cottage, there are memories of her everywhere.
So many things in a year and a half she has given me,
shared with me. I miss her more now.
It has hit me that on this Earth, I will not have another day
with her.
However, I have been fortunate to have been asked if
I want her very spoiled call, Bonnie.
I mean a strange, spoiled cat!
I wanted her so much worried about her and Oliver
but every day, is better than the one before for
us and Bonnie.
Last night, she actually layed in bed with me and
I felt our Barb with me.
There is lots of her in this cat.
Our lives will never be the same,
and I only knew her under two years.
I can only imagine what her three children she adored are feeling.
I do know one thing, she would want us all to
live our best lives possible.
She would believe she went first to make a place
for her children coming after.
She was the glue that held her family together.
She would want her children to remain close.
You will be missed sweet woman.
Your "larger than life" attitude is what I will
miss the most, Our times together when it
was just us two.
Until we meet again,
rest and every once in a while,
give us a sign that you are with us.
I love you, Momma Barb!
