Taylor and Jeannie were fast friends. Sister would often call and report that she had shared lunch with Jeannie at the house, or that Jeannie would let her eat at the house even when Tay had exceeded the number of meals she was supposed to eat at Theta. Hard to imagine Taylor charming her way just outside of the rules. I remember being thankful someone had taken Taylor, cared for Taylor while she was 100 miles away from. me. I enjoyed hearing the lilt in Tay's voice when she talked about a sweet lady I would only meet after the world ended.
Jeannie came to the house Taylor shared with Josie on Pickard to help us pack Taylor's belongings after the wreck, and she was so proud of the plague the pledge class had placed by the tree on the side of the big white house. I remember the evening she showed it to me, the way she grabbed my hand, and the quiver in her voice when she told me how much she missed my girl.
The girls of Theta, many of them, created a blessing ring the summer of 2014. It hangs on my bedroom wall in between pictures of Taylor and Wade, a collection of memories and sweet thoughts about Taylor Renee. . It fell this evening and as I picked it up to put it back on its nail, I saw the J on the front of this note. As you can see, this note is from Jeannie, the house mom at Theta.
Thankful tonight for the moms who love my kids - the moms who choose to do the hard work of loving my kids, to stand in the gap, to parent, to guide, to forgive, to spoil, to indulge, to foster my babies into the adults they are to become. Like the blessing ring hanging on my wall, you each encircle my family weaving your way into and around our lives and adding to us a rich collection of memories and love.
Heaven gets to have you now, Jeannie - a grander white house I am sure you could never imagine. Thanks for loving my girl and every girl that passed through those doors of the great white house on Chautauqua.
#golighttheworld