Her name was Beverly Jo. She died before I was born. She died of diphtheria. She was two years old. Mom and Dad were very young and she was the second child. Beverly died in my Dad’s arms. I don’t remember a lot of stories about her but I do remember Mom saying she was funny and kept them laughing all of the time. I also remember the day Dad opened a little chest that contained a few of Beverly’s toys. I witnessed that as an adult. That chest had been locked and put up for safe keeping for over 25 years.
Today I drove the 40 miles to Beverly’s grave. I am trying to fill in for Mom and Dad as far as caring for the grave site. Beverly is buried in Dad’s hometown in California, Mo.
For some reason today as I trimmed around the little stone and placed the flowers on the grave I felt overwhelmed with the knowledge that she has been with our Heavenly Father for over 65 years. I also realized that that knowledge is exactly how Mom and Dad survived the death of a two year old.
Dad was my first parent to die. About four years later Mom died. I found among their treasures a little box containing notes and papers concerning Beverly. It became quite clear that at the time of Beverly’s death Mom and Dad were not financially prepared to bury her. There was a little notebook with friends names that had given a dime or a quarter to help pay for the expense. It was humbling to see and feel the love the friends shared with my parents. It broke my heart to think that in my parent’s grief they still had to worry with paying for a burial for their little girl.
I have been to California many, many times. I wonder why I was flooded with memories today. Maybe God was just reminding me that Dad, Mom and Beverly are with Him and just waiting for the rest of the family. I miss Mom and Dad so much. Someday I will meet my little sister. I think I just want to close my eyes and think about a big ole family hug in Heaven when Jesus calls me home.
1 Corinthians 15:52
”In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
