POEM Mom's Hands--honoring the life of Rebecca Ann Good

Below is a poem a friend wrote about my mother whom she met only once, and it inspired me to try to write a poem in honor of my wonderful mother, Rebecca Ann Good.  She fought so well and steadfast against colon cancer for over 8 years.

Becky's hands are beautiful
they took care of things in life
She cooked and sewed, and cleaned
when she became a wife
but most of all they're gentle
and wiped away the tears
held her loved ones fast
to take away their fears
my favorite way to see such hands
is when they were in prayer
when you take her home remember
those hands you gave to share.
~~~~~~~Sharon Dock

I took this picture of me holding mom's hand the  a few days before she died.  I was 47 years old when she died on May 20 2010. Any good in me came from her.  Love ;you and miss you bunches mom.

The poem above inspired me to add from my perspective as her daughter of 47 years


My mother’s hands are soft in mine
These hands I hold have done so much,
I am amazed at all they have done and to GOD I say…
“Thank you GOD for making my mom’s hands and heart which have blessed so many along this way!”

Her hands have been used for so many jobs,
And perhaps best used… when they clapped in praise
To songs of worship for her Savior and King
Her Creator, her Redeemer and Master of everything.

Mom used her hands to do her Lord’s work on this earth
in beautiful submission to his leadership over her life
many times she wrapped them around another for a comforting hug,
Friends, family and many of God’s children were recipients of her love.

She used her hands to help make a living
As a church secretary for many years she used them to type and answer the phone,
And after a day at the church, she might write someone a note of well wishes
Then drive us kids wherever we had to be, then fix supper and finish washing dishes.

She held my dad’s hand as wife and dear friend
For over 50  years I am proud to say
On one finger she wore a ring of this promise to him
“I will love you and cherish you forever” one day in June to Jim

Because of their love, I came to be!
And mom’s hands cuddled me so tenderly
gave me baths, fed me food ,
Even held my hand till I went into the door the first day of school

Her hands also got my attention a few times
In a discipline session where her hand met my behind
A subtle (and I use that term lightly) reminder
That mom was in the one in control  but I had better 'walk the line"--

Many more times her hands were used to encourage us
As she clapped at ballgames, band concerts and more,
For big and little accomplishments we could have only done
With her love, her guidance, and her generous helping hands

Mom’s hands were oh so proud to hold her grandchildren, joey and carol
And to give them things that have spoiled them rotten
But I’d not have it any other way
Cause they gave her such pleasure and joy-- on so many days

To sum it all up I can’t think of any way else it might be said
Other than this: mom’s hands were used to show Gods love to us
And that is a gift I can never repay
But as a legacy to honor her… I will strive to use my hands in similar ways

I’ll hold her hands now and whisper in her ear
“Mom, I’m so proud of you …You will always be in my heart… so close and so dear!”
And I’ll be rejoicing to think of the time
When Jesus takes you by your hand and smiles as he says
“Becky, I’m so glad you are a child of mine!”

And I’ve left Judy, Karen and Jim a message
…That you will be just fine
cause you are gonna live and walk forever with me
and we’re gonna enjoy some angelic music and heavenly sunshine!

Judy Hensley
5-20-10

A great friend of Carol and Cooper--in Memory of Jack Blevins

I had started writing this when Jack passed but didn't get it posted.  Please read to find out about this man who truely embodied a "Christ-like attitude" in all he did.  Jack helped coach (basketball) Carol and Cooper while they were at TCCS and was an amazing example for all of his love of the LORD!!!  JACK BLEVINS RIP (1/27/2015 530AM)  Jack was 30 years old (and if you don't read anything else, read under the part titled "what Jack would want us to know".

Much of the following is taken from a Caring Bridge online site for Jack Blevins.  I think it is worth sharing with you.  I knew Jack for just a short time, one basketball season  as he helped coach my daughter, Carol at Tri Cities Christian school.  We knew then that he was battling cancer and he still had a great faith in the LORD which he shared with those young ladies on Carol's team.

My name is Jack Blevins. I am a Christian first , and also a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. I was diagnosed with Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumors (DSRCT) on June 16, 2010 at age 26.  
I am a believer, a fighter and a Survivor. 
I Will Fight, and I Will WIN!
My life and my cancer are in GOD'S Hands.
Semper Fidelis

His wife Cheri wrote in an online journal (1/27/2015 at 12:05am-- early the morning that  Jack passed) 

We have been shocked at how quickly his health has turned this week. Last Sunday, he was at church. On Wednesday, we had dear friends over to our home and while he was a little weaker, he was still doing well. Partway thru Thursday, he lost his strength and began having pain management issues,.......... he continues to grow more weary and weak. Today he has had few moments of clarity and alertness but the moments he has had have been very special. Even in his weakest and toughest moments here, he continues to be the most selfless man I know. I can tell he just wants to make sure I am okay. Today, after what was a very rough and troublesome night for me, I went to him and told him I loved him, to which his eyes snapped open and he said in a soft and weak voice, I love you too. He then somehow managed to lift his arm up around me so he could hug me and gave me biggest smile ever. He is still trying to protect and comfort me. Another moment of clarity was when our church ministers came to pray for Jack and he was able it muster up the energy to give them a thumbs up and tell them he loved them. Between these far and few moments of clarity, Jack is asleep. I believe we are to the point where he can no longer verbally communicate with us, but I know he can still hear us.......... 

While our hearts are heavy as we watch him slowly slip away, we are at peace with his passing. God is preparing a room for him (I imagine duke-themed) and we know it will be ready soon. While it is hard and devastating to let him go and I will miss him so very much, we know in that moment he will suffer no more. Jack and I have talked about his arrival to the pearly gates many times and we often wondered what his heavenly body will be like. We wondered if it would be much like our earthy bodies, but perfected. Jack liked to think that he would be restored to the strong body he had in  his prime during his time in the marine corps, and I can't tell you how much that excited him to know he would be able to walk and run again and no longer be in pain.  (CONTINUED BELOW)

********HERE IS WHAT I THINK JACK WANTS EACH OF US TO KNOW:    

Cheri's continued remarks:As today has passed by, my heart aches to watch him slowly fade away from us. It pains me to see him struggle and fight for his life, and you can't help but wonder why God would allow us and jack to experience such heartache. And then I think about how God sent his own son to die for our sins and how much it pained Him to watch his son suffer. He could have saved His son from that pain and he chose not to intervene. Why? Because his plan for our eternal salvation was the bigger picture and more important and Jesus knew and accepted that too. I can't help but wonder if there is a bigger picture here as well but we just don't know what it is yet? One thing I do know is that thru the story of Jack's life, he would want his fight against cancer and the testimony of his life to bring you closer to Jesus. I know this because several years ago when jack had his surgery to hopefully eradicate the cancer in his body, we found out it didn't work. I went thru a season of anger with God and became so angry I began to question his existence. It took me a while to tell jack that and when I did it broke his heart. The last thing he wanted was for this journey to put distance between me and God and I know he wouldn't want that for any of you either. I know he will be looking forward to the day of seeing us all again in Heaven and i can only imagine he will greet us with a big ole smile and hug. 

Jack passed within 6 hours of his wife writing this.  Carol always admired Jack...all the girls on her team did..and I can see why.  Thank you Jack for sharing your love of God through the opportunity to help coach some young adults at Tri Cities Christian School.  You did good.....REAL GOOD!

(if you want to read more, I shared some of a conversation Jack and I had just 2 weeks prior to his passing on my facebook page.  IF you are friends with me on Facebook you can see it at https://www.facebook.com/judy.g.hensley/posts/10152702348815028)

My Golden Beauties-IN Honor of My Related Women Married 50 Years (or a long time anyways)

  Since it is the day after Mother's day and near the big wedding month of June, I thought I would take this chance to brag on some of my women relatives who have been blessed to be married 50 + years.  They have certainly provided a Godly example of what loving their mate through it all really looks like.  Not only that, they show mine and future generations the truth about the marriage committment!

  I began thinking about this a couple of weeks ago.  I wondered how many of mine and Bill's relatives had been married 50+ years.  I realize that health conditions may have cut short some of these unions as well.  I will try and give you a little background on these people as well as I can remember.  

  My paternal grandparents:  Edith and Paul Good.  They were  married on Sept 9, 1933.  The moved to Jonesborough TN early in their marriage (from Iowa--i think).  My Pappaw was a farmer and he also was a milk man until he decided to go into business for himself.  He converted a school bus into a rolling store and provided door-to-door service for many out in the rural counties of east Tennessee.  I had the pleasure of riding his route with him one time.   Every one loved Pappaw Paul; including his grandkids because we got to pick free candy out of the store/bus.  I remember Pappaw for two thing mostly:  he always wore overalls (even to church) and he rarely used the indoor plumbing facilities but preferred doing his "business" in the outhouse by the hen barn. My Mammaw Edith stayed at home and made Pappaw the happy man he was.  I remember her enjoying crossword puzzles alot.  She had a couple of strokes in her later days and her family helped take care of her at home until her last days (they did this for over 2 years).  When she passed she was 76 and she and Pappaw had been married for  55 years.  That is a long time, and you have to know that not every minute of it was sweet, but somehow they found a way to make it work, and work well. 
  Just two and a half years later Pappaw died at the age of 78 of some kind of cancer that was discovered after Mammaw died.  I was 26 when my Mammaw Edith died.  She left me a picture of her and Pappaw sitting on the bumper of their old Ford car because I thought Pappaw was so handsome in that picture.

My maternal grandparents were also referred to as Mammaw and Pappaw.   Luther Chase and Euna (Tommy) were married for around 40 years.  My Pappaw Luther passed on Feb. 2, 1977.  He was the first of my grandparents to die and I was 15 years old.  My Pappaw Luther had several health problems and was often quite grumpy.  Just being honest.  He also had emphysema (and continued to smoke) and also had what they then called palsy.  He moved slow and this makes me think he actually had Parkinson's disease.  He worked for many years at Eastman, reitired in disability, and then as a part-time farmer and constable.  His hand might have shook when not holding a pistol, but when he went to a turkey shoot he usually came back with a turkey for the freezer.   My Mammaw Tommy ( a nickname she got at a young age for being a tomboy) was the apple of this granddaughter's eye.  She was a wonderful cook, and a great baby sitter.  The only thing was when you stayed at her house and she gave you a bath, you thought she was rubbing your skin off while getting you  clean.  To this day when I smell Ivory soap I think of  the bath at her house and smile.   Pappaw Luther died of a heart attack while driving his car from his house to store at the foot of Stewards Hill in Jonesborough TN.  My Mammaw lived in their home several years after Pappaw died and then  moved to a rental house across the street from my parents.  It was nice to have her there.  She got to see and be a  part of my daughter and Karen's son's life until her death in Feb. 1997.  She lived 20 years after her husband and died from Congestive Heart Failure.   I was 35 at the time of her death and she was the last of mine and Bill's grandparents to die.  The kids called her Gran gran for Great-Grandmother.  She was a joy to everyone she met.  A beautiful soul that loved God and her children.  I am having some problems finding when they were married but I don't think they made it to 50 years (based on Pappaw's age at his death), but they were probably close.

 While I am still on my side of the family, I am very proud to say my own parents celebrated 50 years of marriage and mom died before they could have met the 51 year marker.  They were married on June 15, 1959 and mom died May 10, 2010.  My dad took very good care of mom for the 3 times in 10 years that she fought colon cancer (matatisized to kidney and bone later on) and it took a long time for him to speak of her after her death without shedding a tear.  I know that theirs was a love that stood the test of physical sickness yet remained intact as God intended.  We celebrated their 50th with a big reception at their church.   So many people came and mom was a trooper; she stood for much of it with the aid of a cane.  Just a couple of  months later we would go to Vanderbilt for her to have surgery to repair her cracked hip bone from the cancer that had taken it's final hold.   She came home and in the fall had her last trip to the hospital where doctors told us she had 2 weeks to 2 months to live.    My mom lived to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, her birthday (in April 2010) before she passed about a week after Mother's Day 2010.   Her last day was spent with family by her side.   Her last words to me were "Don't cry; it will be ok."   I still cry many dayts when I think about her being my best friend, and how God blessed me to be her daughte and the time I had with her for 48 years.  She taught me many things, but the most important thing she taught me was to trust in God and to commit to Him as my personal Lord and Savior.   The day that we laid my mom's body to rest, it started out as a rather dreary day, cold and windy.  But after the graveside service was over, I stood on top of the hill at Washington County Memory Gardens  and felt the sun break through the clouds and I knew that my mom was beaming her trademark smile for me from heaven and I knew it was going to be OK.   

  Now turning to Bill's side of the family.  His parents were also married over 50 years.  We had a small celebration at their home for their 50th and Mom Kate was already showing signs of mini strokes or Alzheimer's disease.   Although she did not remember some folks that came by to see her and Dad that day, you could tell she was proud to be there by his side.  Dad Bill took great care of mom at home as long as he could, but a fall one day created an injury that would prevent her from being mobile so a decision was made for her to enter a skilled nursing facility where she stayed until she died on Dec 3, 2009, six months before my mother did.

  Bill's paternal grandparents also celebrated at least 50 years of marriage. William Shufford Hensley married  Blanche Augusta Reed on July 11, 1929.  Nanny Hensley died in October 1983 just 2 months before we got married.  Coincidentally, the day we got married we to the VA to see his other Grandpa Hodges who was in the hospital and died shortly after we were married.  Nanny and Pappaw Hensley were married 54 years at the time of her death.  Pappaw Hensley lived out in Telford TN for a while and then moved to VA to stay with his daughter, Jerry until his death.    What a treasure they were to know.  Nanny was always so happy even though she suffered with severe arthritis.

 Bill's maternal  grandfather was Weldon Floyd Hodges.  He  was a funny man who joined the Navy before he was eligible age-wise and he loved to fish and play a good joke on his friends and family.  His marriage to  "Mammy" was his second so I am not sure how long they were married.   I remember Kate telling about how Mammy loved to get a good one over on her kids at times.  It is no wonder that Kate got her penchant for pulling a good on over on you if you knew her well.  Mammy died shortly after we moved back to Johnson City from Nashville, two years after we were married.

  I know this summary might be boring to anyone else, but I wrote it to capture what I know and how proud I am of  my parents, my in-laws and mine and Bill's grandparents love and examples they set for us.  I thank God for each of them and their long-term commitment to one another.

 Hopefully we can continue the tradition.  We are over half the way to 50 years.  At the end of 2015 Bill and I will celebrate 32 years together.  I am praying we have many more years together...cause I don't know how to live with anyone else.  We dated for 5 years before we got married so I have known Bill Hensley for 37 years...!!!  We started dating in high school, and well that's a story for another day.

judy
may 13, 2015