Missing a Heinisch Support System

Today I was cleaning out the glass bookcase that we inherited from Doug's Grandma, Dorothy, over 30 years ago.  We appreciated using it all of these years, but knew that we were not going to take it to Florida with us.  It was a nice antique from the turn of the century, but it would need some help aesthetically and would have to have the back nailed back in place to be of much more use to us.  I decided that I was ready for something new.  

Along with the recipe books, I found a lot of memories on those shelves.  My Grandma Guard's iron cast toy stove, a painting that Meg made for Mother's Day three years ago, and a honey bear candle that was a gift from Brett were just to name a few.  Behind a print of Jeanette's that I had kept when Carl cleaned out the house on Rich Road, there were two letters that my mother-in-law had written me.  I didn't remember putting them there, so I was eager to read what they said.  

As soon as I saw my name on the page, the years melted away.  It was like Jeanette was in the room with me.  I could hear her voice as I read her words.  She wrote about Meg's birthday, the pictures that Cameron had drawn for her, and her health.  She said that she wanted to make sure that we had flowers for our spring planting and must have included a check for us to buy something beautiful for the yard.  She told us how much she enjoyed our remodeling project and how much she appreciated hearing from us.  

I put down her letters and spent the next half hour letting the tears flow.  Jeanette was one of our biggest cheerleaders.  She was always positive and supported her children and grandchildren in all that they did.  She loved listening to us and was always happy for us.  I wanted to call her today and fill her in on the past eight years.  She would have loved hearing about the Heinisch children and all that they had accomplished since 2014.  I could almost hear her saying how excited she was for their new adventures and how proud she was of the wonderful adults that they had become.  

I knew when Jeanette died that it would be a loss in the Heinisch family that would be almost impossible to fill.  This has never been more apparent than in the past three months.  As we currently navigate a challenging situation in Doug's family, we miss her presence now more than ever.  This afternoon, I cried as I read her favored print over and over before I packed it away for our move.  The world was definitely a beautiful place with Jeanette in it and her time on this Earth was way too short.