Traveling the Rock Road

When my Great Aunt Pearl retired, she chose to move back home to West Virginia instead of living out her days in Ohio. This was a sad time for me; I loved my mother dearly but because of her limitations physically and emotionally Pearl took on the role of 2^nd mother to me. I hated to see her leave but I understood; had it been possible I might have moved with her. So over the following years we would see each other during visits but most of the time would be spent catching up on the phone.

One evening as we were talking I happened to look out the window to see the moon. “Oh Pearl you ought to see the moon, it’s big, full and beautiful tonight.” “Just a moment,” she responded and then there was a pause before she returned to the phone. “You’re right Johnny, it’s so bright it lights up my backyard.” Then with a little chuckle; “Now I couldn’t let you enjoy that all by yourself.” When we hung up I sat there and pondered her words and what we had just experienced, just shared. Even though she was 500 miles away we could see the moon at the same moment. It reminded me of being a kid and how she and I would watch a TV show together; now the show we shared was God’s glorious creation, hung in the sky for all to see, especially Pearly Mae and me. Over the course of time my travels took me farther away from home and Pearl, but wherever I was if I happened to notice a full moon I’d called and ask, “Do you see it?” Often the response would be “Yes, I’m seeing it with you.” Awesome!

The call came in February telling me about the accident and that Pearl was in serious condition. The next day she went to be with her Lord. And I looked into the night and there was no moon; it seemed fitting. It was such a hard time not understanding how she could be gone so suddenly. The answer would come several years later as I stared, alone in my thinking, at a full moon.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

¹     “There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²     a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³     a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,”

It was like I could hear her voice; “Johnny, you mean to tell me that you are so sad that you can’t remember all the good times we had, including moon gazing.”

It was still hard but I realized there were many wonderful memories of my Pearl that brought a smile, even tears of joy. It was now time to move, she would want that as well as the Lord would. She lived her life well sharing her joyful ways with many, but now she was Home and there’s no way she’d want to come back.  When that reality hit me I was finally able to let her go, to be happy she was with her Lord. I may not have her anymore, but I still had her memory, her ways and laughter and the guidance and love she worked so hard to instill in me. When I look at that the fullness of the moon I now realized, I still had my Pearly Mae.

This “Traveler of the Rock Road” looks at life differently these days; I had said for years I believed in eternal life but it took several more years for me to really know it as truth, a place where many friends, family, Pearl and my beloved Lord dwell.

I so look forward to being reunited with my Pearl one day. I won’t be surprised if she leads me to a place where we can both gaze and then say, “Do you see Him?” and my answer will be, “Yes I do, in all His fullness and glory, I see the Son!”

See ya next time.