Monday, June 26, 2006

With fond memories-



This post is to memorialize Jackie, who was killed last Thursday in a wet weather car accident. I went to her memorial yesterday afternoon, and it hit me. Instead of a rowdy "Heeeyyyyy Guuurrrrrrllllllllll" in her thick as peanut butter on Wonderbread drawl, I see her, a deflated Jackie balloon. No more grousing about this or that, no more pleasantries shouted across the parking lot. Oh Jackie, I am sorry.

Crystal did a good job with her mama's hair and make-up, I am surprised she managed to do it at all. I saw her darling son-gosh, he'll be a looker, I hope this won't send him into Stupidland. He's only 16.

Somehow, and I truly believe this, I think Jackie's heart and her personality were too big to turn off suddenly, like a well gone dry. I think she'll be around to peek in on the kids. Her messages won't be delivered in a cheerful bull-doggin' yell; I think they will be in little breaths, the kind that stir dust into sudden tiny vortexes late on summer afternoons.

Jackie, it's been a pleasure knowing you. I wouldn't have prayed so hard for rain if I had known you were the price we'd pay for it.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

My dear Bets....I am so sorry for your loss. It doesn't seem fair does it! My heart goes out to you,
Evelyn

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry about your friend, Jackie. Her family must be crushed to lose her, she sounds like a woman the world needed in it.

Anonymous said...

Bets,
I am very sorry for your loss. You wonder what kind of world is it when the best are taken so suddenly. All one can think in cases like this is that we are lucky to have known such a person, both funny and good, who for a time brightened the landscape of our own life.
Sandra