A loved one's gift

Sitting on my couch at 5:30 in the morning with my 1-year-old, I notice the beginnings of a beautiful sunrise forming on the horizon. Among the scattered thoughts of this hour, I think of my grandma Jean Bell Mosley. She loved watching the sunrise from her porch swing, coffee in hand.

I often think of grandma Mosley at times like this. When life is quiet. I think about my life experiences I wish I could have shared with her. I can picture her smiling during my wedding. Holding my firstborn son. Nuzzling the soft head of fine hair on my second son's head. And coming to see the cows that graze nearby our house. Yes, cows, grandma Mosley! Big black ones. One has a white face, a comical deviation to an otherwise identical herd. The Hand of God, you know. 

As we approach the anniversary of her birthday, I am reminded of how much my grandmother's influence lives in me.

Everyday, there is something. Or someone. Remembering our loved ones on their birthdays is mindful, but remembering them and their influence throughout the year is the true gift.

LAUREN MOSLEY SNIDER, Cape Girardeau