Why am I blogging?

My daughter's smile is the lovely one you see above! I love to see people smile! Maybe that is why ...I like to capture smiles or snapshots of things that make others smile with my camera. I know we can't go through every minute of life with a smile but I hope that even when life is hard we can have a peace that others will notice and desire. My blog initially started as a way to honor my mom and her great outlook on life. She died in May 2010 from cancer. I don't think I can ever due justice to her life but I hope I can live my life in a way that would make her proud. The one other great privilege I have had is to be Carol Hensley Singletary's mother. She was our only child and she died suddenly on Feb .27, 2013. She was 19 years old. Her zest for life, her smile and her loving personna is missed by many, but none more than by her husband of just 6 months, Cooper. We carry on by grace and faith in God, and will look for any means to smile while we are left here on this earth for some reason by God. What I would give just to see the beautiful smile of my mom and daughter again! I know without a doubt I will someday, but until then I am going to try and praise my God and King in the life's good days and through life's pains. And i'm sharing here ...in hopes that you will smile with me. judy!

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Thankful for 19 years

Some may think it is unusual to be thankful for something you no longer have.  In my case I am thankful for 19 years I had with my daughter, Carol Hensley Singletary.

I am in a bible study group for women who have loved and lost a child--some without ever seeing their child.  Some experiencing the loss of  an adult child.  Any of these life - changing loses is hard, and if if I dwell on any of these womens' loss of their beloved child  i can become very emotional.  But not only do I call these women my friends I call them my comrades of courage.  Each heart is of these ladies is different but every one is inspiring.  And for that I am most grateful for what they have shared from the heart.  And more than anything what they have shared is a big, and missing part of their heart.
Each of the women in our class has a unique outlook and in-look for the future , and I am so thankful that they have chosen to share their hope with me.

If you have children living here on this earth or in heaven, I pray that you are thankful that God chose you to guide the life of one He describes as being precious.  And I pray that you will have wisdom and hope for your child
 to live in obedience to their Maker and be a guiding light no matter how long their life may be.

I am most grateful that my daughter, Carol lived her life to the fullest in 19 years.   I am grateful that she got to experience being the wife(for 6  months) of the guy she loved deeply.  And I wait for the day when I will know the purpose of her death, but until then, I will focus on the special impact of her life on all she met.

Carol excelled in sports, making people smile, and was pretty good at academics.
She had so many friends who admired her spirit.  Her death made many of them think.  There were almost 900 people who signed the book on the day of her memorial and her burial.  Plus almost another 50 who attended a separate service in Gatlinburg almost a month after her death.

When I consider how many who felt a desire to come and let us know of her influence, some even standing outside in the spitting snow on the day of her celebration of life, I feel honored to say I am Carol's mom.  And I can make no claims of doing anything right on my own. Many people loved Carol and helped her live such a special life in just 19 years.

As I was looking through some items of Carol's that I had saved, I found a  reminder of three special ladies who loved a little girl with all their hearts when they served as preschool teachers at Antioch Baptist Church from Carol's first Sunday at church.  I will forever be thankful to these ladies who provided such amazing care to my little one.   Their names are recorded in a small pink New Testiment that was given to her.  Although 2 of them are in heaven  now , I will be forever grateful to Miss Vaughtie,  Miss Idell, and Miss Tammy for the love, smiles, and stories they shared with Carol for a couple of years in the pre-school department  of Antioch Baptist Church. And it just adds another "3" to the many that seem to be evident in one girl's life.

Carol's Mom aka Judy Hensley
Nov 2017

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