One candle is for Debbie and the other is for JT and Tripp.
The sweetest things to me were Debbie's laugh and giggle, with the way she would touch the side of her nose with her index finger as she laughed and then point right at you as if making her point. We did so many things together, riding horses, climbing apple trees as kids and solving the problems of our world. We were the Tomboys, even though Aunt Louise made Debbie dress in frilly dresses at times. We were buddies all our lives. We laughed about how we escaped disaster many times, from childhood and beyond. But, we had so much fun and laughed so much over so many things, even turning tears into laughter.
One of my happiest memories was on the night Debbie graduated from high school. There were "all night movies" at the drive-in. Debbie could take a friend for free, so I had to hide under a blanket in the backseat floorboard of her Volkswagon Beetle. There was so much giggeling before we got into the drive-in, it's a miracle we didn't get caught.
We did ceramics for everyone one year as Christmas gifts. We spent many nights together while JT was working nights.
I played the piano at their wedding. When her Grandmother Dickson couldn't find the church, my 30 minute set of songs, suddenly became more than an hour's worth of playing. I will never forget being told her Grandmother wasn't there and I needed to keep playing, just as I was ready to start the Wedding March. One of their friends, sitting in the first or second pew as I played, his face as I started from the top with the music for a second and then a third time... I was so nervous anyway, but feeling the whole church wondered what I was doing was horrible. I was so relieved when they told me I could finally play the Wedding March. Debbie giggeled about it later, and even though she had been concerned about her Grandparents, all that mattered to her was it worked out in the end.
Her ability to laugh and smile, no matter how hard things got lightened the weight of the world for us both, many times. We had a connection that made us call each other at times, because we had a "feeling" the other one needed to talk, or something was going on. We needed to make sure the other one was ok. So many times she would say to me she was about to call me and was glad that I had called her. That "feeling" was never wrong, things were always better after we talked.
I loved how she called me, "Linda Linda", and the cute way she would say it. She was my buddy and our families did so much together over the years as children and after we were adults. Our lives intersected so many times and we were blessed to live close to each other for many years.
I remember the day she broke her ankle. She was hurt so bad, and I met her at the ER when the ambulance arrived. The neighbor who finally came to help her, called me instead of an ambulance! I could tell Debbie needed to tell me something as soon as I saw her. She asked me to help her to the bathroom. In the restroom, she looked up at me and said, "if you don't get her (the neighbor) out of here, I'm going to kill her or lose my mind. I have asked her to leave and she won't go and she won't stop talking!" It wasn't easy, but I made it happen. Poor Debbie was so hurt and so relieved to finally have the quiet she needed. We called each other "Grace" more than once over the years, after one of us would crash somehow.
She was one of the kindest people and never met a stranger. She remembered the small things about people and their families. She made everyone feel special. She was my hero as she fought so hard to be with her family. She loved life and treasured every day she had with all her family. Tripp was her pride and joy, and JT was the love of her life. With her little Bebe, they made her world wonderful. She felt truly blessed and dearly love.
God blessed us all with her love and laughter. Honor her by enjoying life completely, till we are all together again.
