So here is the lovely Rachel with Isabelle...
And Rachel's grandma, Aunt Bette, one of our Steel Magnolias... a photo from long ago...
And our handsome Great-Grandfather, Charles Pelham Ward, Emory University School of Medicine, Class of 1894. Isabelle's Great-Great-Grandfather.
Isabelle's Great-Great-Great Grandmother, Rosa Bertha Hawes Ward. Aunt Bette is named after her. I see lots of her in Rachel.
Rosa was married to William Cleveland Ward, my Great-Great-Grandfather. Scroll back up through the generations. To me, it's all in the eyes... the resemblance is uncanny.
Carrying physical traits from past generations is one thing... but to me, the real treasure is the character traits that have passed down to us.
I've mentioned before that Rachel's beautiful mother passed away in 2007. Baby Isabelle was a little late and in my mind (maybe because I watch too much Long Island Medium) it seemed like her Grandma Leslie was holding her little soul in Heaven and reluctant to let her go.
God has a way of filling in the blanks in our lives and although no one could ever take Leslie's place, I am happy to see that baby Isabelle is loved and cherished by a large family and many kind friends. She is surrounded on Earth by many who will love her and treasure her but she is also watched over by a great cloud of witnesses in Heaven.
Our Steel Magnolias didn't become that way by living a life of perfection and ease. They certainly experienced trials and tragedy along the way. I'll never forget how lovely Grandma and Aunt Bette were at Leslie's funeral. They both wore pink! Although they certainly shed many tears they maintained a certain dignity and grace that was unmistakable in the face of what must surely have been one of the saddest moments of their life. Their strength was inspirational.
The legacy that is evident in photos is even more evident in lives. By a combination of nature and nurture we have a strength that continues generation after generation. We are recipients of more than just dark, curly hair... we receive the ability to overcome hardship. We have the ability to become Steel Magnolias by modeling the example set before us. That's the resemblance that matters most.
Love and hugs and Happy Tuesday, y'all!
Carrying physical traits from past generations is one thing... but to me, the real treasure is the character traits that have passed down to us.
God has a way of filling in the blanks in our lives and although no one could ever take Leslie's place, I am happy to see that baby Isabelle is loved and cherished by a large family and many kind friends. She is surrounded on Earth by many who will love her and treasure her but she is also watched over by a great cloud of witnesses in Heaven.
Our Steel Magnolias didn't become that way by living a life of perfection and ease. They certainly experienced trials and tragedy along the way. I'll never forget how lovely Grandma and Aunt Bette were at Leslie's funeral. They both wore pink! Although they certainly shed many tears they maintained a certain dignity and grace that was unmistakable in the face of what must surely have been one of the saddest moments of their life. Their strength was inspirational.
The legacy that is evident in photos is even more evident in lives. By a combination of nature and nurture we have a strength that continues generation after generation. We are recipients of more than just dark, curly hair... we receive the ability to overcome hardship. We have the ability to become Steel Magnolias by modeling the example set before us. That's the resemblance that matters most.
Love and hugs and Happy Tuesday, y'all!
0 comments:
Post a Comment