Friday, June 13, 2008

Bobbie & the Baby

Life never ceases to amaze me.

It is a continuous cycle of life and death, living and dying.

Just two days ago Leigh and I went in for our monthly prenatal exam. Everything was just as perfect as can be. And there we were celebrating life, feeling joyous, exuberant, excited and blessed. Life is coming to us. Leigh is growing a child. Our child! How incredibly magical and special and sacred. Life, what power.

We weren't two steps back into our home when my phone rang and it was my mom. She was calling to tell me that my Great Aunt Bobbie, the last member of my immediate family from that generation, had passed on that morning. I cried. I cried hard. Family is so, so, so important to me and to lose a member is never an easy thing for me. I really respected her. She loved me. Called me her 'Sweetie Pie". We were friends. And now, sadly, she won't be able to meet the new coming generation.

It was her time, though. Her body and spirit had been waging a tug of war for years and her spirit finally relented and said, "Yes. It is time." And so on June 11th, sometime between 6:30am and 8:30am, she quietly and peacefully left this world to join her friends and family waiting her on the other side.

But there we are, one minute celebrating the coming new life, the next we're crying in the kitchen mourning a dear loved one's passing. Life and death, man. The circle remains unbroken. The cycle continues. Amazing. Sacred. Perfect.

I want to honor both Bobbie and our coming child. I'll post a brief obituary for Bobbie and then to end on a high note, a note of hope, I'll post a photo of our little one in the womb. We went to our first and only ultrasound today. The doctor said everything looked really good. No Down Syndrome signs, no club foot signs, no heart problems, no spinal bifida, no cleft palate. All signs point to 100% healthy baby! And no, we didn't find out what the sex is!

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Dearest Bobbie....You will be missed!

Bobbie June Thomason, 82, passed away peacefully on June 11, 2008 after an extended illness. Bobbie was born on June 20, 1925 in Atlanta to the late Walter Hood and Idell Thomason. She graduated from Girl's High and began a long career with AT & T that began in Atlanta and culminated in New Jersey.

Bobbie loved to travel and savored adventures throughout the US and abroad. She returned to Atlanta after retirement and enjoyed many activities but her primary love and focus was her family. Her many nieces and nephews and the "greats" have fond memories of Bobbie, the wonderful aunt that always had a ready ear, sage advice, a willingness to share adventures and a never ending capacity to be their friend and confidante.

Despite her illness, Bobbie's mind remained sharp. She could engage in lively debate on issues ranging from politics to fashion yet she never lost her wicked sense of humor. Quite simply, she was a "firecracker" with a zest for life and a flame that never dimmed.

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Dearest Child....You are most welcome! (PS - Who do you think he/she looks like?)