All Saint's Day & My Saints

Happy Feast Day friends! For those that don't know, today is All Saint's Day, where Catholics celebrate all the saints in heaven. We believe that everyone who goes to heaven becomes a saint, which is really very cool. Definitely a good goal to strive for :)

In honor of today, I thought I would honor four very special people in my family who I am very confident are up in heaven right now partying it up!

1. Great Grandmother 

Such an inspiring lady. My Dad's grandmother went to the Lord my freshman year and I have no doubt she has been a constant prayer warrior for my family. Great Grandmother is remembered for her amazing blessings over meals at family reunions. We would all stand there, holding hands, while she praised and thanked... and maybe called a few family members out. "And Lord..." usually preceded that. To this day, we will sometimes pray over meals and say "And Lord..." to remember her. 

2. Uncle Bill 

Uncle Bill passed on surprisingly this past April. He is my Dad's brother and an incredible man after the Lord's own heart. We still desperately miss him and all the light he added to the family. A devoted Baptist, he held prayer meetings every week and was known to never ever cancel them. Uncle Bill was a huge supporter to me in Theatre and tried to attend as many shows as he could. Handel's Messiah, our annual Christmas concert, was his favorite. He was always late, always loud, and always there. Rest in Peace Uncle Bill, and please pray for us!

3. Paw Paw

Mom's Dad left us right after I graduated from high school. He was the most epic man. A WW2 veteran, engineer, devoted husband, loving father, avid gardener, amazing grandfather, & a wonderful great grandfather. He and my Grandma still flirted even after being married over 50 years, and they have given me the greatest example follow in my own relationships. Paw Paw even told me what a virgin was! At four, I was watching a movie and the word virgin came up. I asked Paw Paw what that was and after thinking about it he said "a person who isn't married." That satisfied my curiosity for a good long while! We miss you bunches and bunches Paw Paw. 

4. Lulu

Momma's great aunt lived with my Grandma and Paw Paw and was a fixture in Simenton my whole life. She left us this past July. Lulu loved her Soap Opera's and crossword puzzles. As children, she would always have lemon drops for us in her room. She watched Mass on her TV every single day. For graduation, Lulu gave me the duvet cover I had been wanting since October of the previous year. It is probably my favorite part of my dorm room, and I feel like Lulu keeps me warm and comfortable every night. 

These are my Saints and role models. They taught me so much and I strive everyday to live up to their standard. The bar is set pretty high. I am confident though that with their prayers I can do it. Thank the Lord that we will one day be together again and are connected through Him.