A reader named Shannon Watts of Modesto, California, sent us a story about her grandmother Eileen, who passed away after the aggressive return of her breast cancer.
I never forgot the story, because my own grandmother died similarly, and both Grandma Eileen and my Mam-maw were big card players. Like Shannon Watts, I often pleaded with my grandmother, “Just one more game.” Far as I can tell, neither of these grandmothers ever said no!
Grandma Eileen, “the glue of the family,” repeatedly told everyone not to worry about her, even when she was at her weakest. She knew she would soon be safe in heaven. On their last visit together, Shannon and Grandma Eileen played cards, of course. Eileen passed away on April 5, 1998, one day shy of her 72nd birthday.
The morning of Eileen’s funeral, Shannon’s cousin called to tell her not to miss the Family Circus comic in the newspaper. The strip that day showed a little girl sitting on her bed talking to her brothers. “Shh!” the caption read, “Eileen’s talking to me. She’s my guardian angel.”
Shannon believes that was God’s assurance that Eileen was with him in heaven, where surely she has found at least one other enthusiastic card player. One near and dear to my heart.
