A Legacy Left

A week ago Friday at 10:16am my mom called and I instantly knew there was something wrong. We had been previously texting as I didn't have school thanks to Ron Clark coming to speak to the Lima City Schools Staff.

I thought something may have happened to Grandma Clum because early that morning I received a text saying that she fell and broke her arm the night before. But it wasn't her that was the concern. It was Grandpa. As mom caught me up to speed with what was going on, I'll never forget what she said when I asked "So what's this all mean?!"

"I think your grandpa is dying as we speak..."

The staff meeting following was difficult to focus in as was the following few hours as I went back and forth whether I want to go to Greenville and weeping through the prognosis.

Fast-forward. It's 5:01 as Chris and I are pulling into the Wal-Mart parking lot to pick up Stuart and Sondra to watch for the evening and I get a call from my dad who I had not talked to all day as he was with his siblings and mom in Greenville.

"It's over..."

I tried to be strong as I could hear the hurt and sorrow in his voice.

There is so much that can be said to convey the emotions and thoughts as the Clum family tried to process the unexpected loss of Grandpa, but what more can be said is about the funeral services.

All of my family was able to be together as we mourn our loss, but celebrated the life of Grandpa. There were stories I had never heard before and ones I'll never forget. Grandpa was a hard worker. Grandpa was a providing father, loving husband, and supportive grandpa. He was proud of the family he had and even on the Sunday before his death, we were at Aunt Jane's for a cook out to meet one of the newest additions to the Clum family and we was enjoying ever minute of being around the ones he loved.

Grandpa may be gone from this earth, but his legacy certainly is not. It lives in his wife, his children, his grandchildren, and even in his great-grandchildren.

Mom commented on my Facebook status one day, and I don't think anyone could have said it better: "There are no words to describe the journey the 52 of us have started. The comfort lies in that there is strength in numbers and we are 52 plus strong."

I am so thankful that my photographer captured this candid from my wedding.
It is certainly a picture that is cherished even more now.