A Lesson in Juxtaposistion by MollyB

It's weird to me how so much awesome can happen in the same year as so much crappy.

Matt and I each lost a Grandparent this past week. My Granny on Monday, his Grandpa on Thursday.

Lately I've been thinking "Good Riddance 2009!" As far as I'm concerned, the new year can't get here fast enough. 2009 took GG, Aunt Barbara, Granny, and Grandpa John. It brought Carter and Aunt Kathy cancer. It presented hiccup after hiccup in the functioning of our everyday lives.

But then again, 2009 has been one of the best yet. Matt and I celebrated 10 years of marriage (and still really like each other!) Kate & Paul got married,

my mom beat cancer (for the 2nd time!)  Chris made it to the Bigs,

we moved into our new home, we learned Matt's brother and his wife are finally gonna give us a baby cousin,

(we love you already Guppy Graber!)

and right around the corner, a clean water well will be built in Africa.

I guess that's life at it's finest, right? Good with the Bad. Pretty with the Ugly. Awesome with the Crappy.

Before I had kids, I never really thought about what it would be like to learn from my children. To see things from their point of view. I always thought it would be me teaching them, me bringing them up, me showing them how to see the world.

Both girls have really been looking forward to going to Iowa this Christmas. We bit the bullet a couple weeks ago and bought all 5 of us plane tickets to spend Christmas on the Farm. We new it would be Grandpa John's last - if he made it - and he had yet to meet Wyatt.

So you can imagine how hard it was for me to tell them Grandpa had passed away this week. Before we could get there to say one last goodbye. I had tears in my eyes and I wasn't too sure how they were going to take it. I was especially worried about Molly. Just the day prior, she had colored the most beautiful picture to take to him.

To my surprise (and enlightenment) this is how our conversation went:

ME: "Girls, I have something to tell you and it might make you sad. Grandpa John went to Heaven today....Do you understand what that means?"

MEGAN: "Yeah. He died. Daddy will be so sad!"

ME: "Well yes, he did. And yes, he will. But what I mean is, Grandpa wont be there this Christmas when we go back to the Farm. What do you think about that?"

MOLLY: "That's so cool Mom. Papa John is lucky."

ME: "Lucky? Why?"

MOLLY: "Cause he gets to know what Jesus looks like FOR REALS!"

Well I guess you're right my MollyB. Grandpa doesn't get to spend Christmas with us, but he does get to know what Jesus looks like for reals! Apparently, when put side by side, Death is a lot like Life. Good with the Bad. Pretty with the Ugly. Awesome with the Crappy.

Who ever knew a 4 year old could teach you so much?

(She did!)