One day at a time...

In this messed up existence, you exhibited love.
Demonstrated persistence, faith in God above.
Unchangingly, you led the platoon, and taught us the way,
Then suddenly, far far too soon, he took you away.

To finally be by his side.
In his love to freely abide.
To praise him and adore,
And be with those who went before.

One day we will follow where you have gone.
Facing joy and sorrow sure and strong.
Missing your voice, and your heart on this climb.
Singing his praise, till we see your face, one day at a time.

It was my Grandma's (Nana's) birthday  years ago and in typical Burgher style everyone was listening to music, gossiping, drinking, eating and having a ball. The whole family was home, hyper and a few were a little high...

I was sitting in a corner and I don't remember what I was doing. But i do remember I was sitting in the sunlit hall like so many Sunday afternoons before, with my whole family around me and a bright ray of sunshine streaming through the window forcing me to shift in my seat to keep my legs in the shade. (It's amazing what you remember...) The radio was tuned to the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (God only knows why), and as it was a Sunday they were playing hymns. I remember suddenly one of my uncles broke into song as the songs changed"One day at a time sweet Jesus... That's all i'm asking from you." For a moment I smiled at the strange twist, but i noticed that Nana seemed a little strange, and she got up from "Her chair." and walked to her room. So I left my brother who was leaning on me bored, and went to see what was wrong. I walked into her room and found Nana crying, seated on her bed facing the wall so no one would see. Few things in my life have ever shocked me or shaken me like seeing her cry. Through years of being the matriarch of a hyperactive, impulsive, unstably problematic family, this was the first time I had ever seen Nana cry...

I ran over to her and sat beside her on her bed and asked her what was wrong, and she said it was nothing. But eventually she told me, "it's just the song Nilo," I looked at her confused (Obviously.) and she explained that every morning before My grandpa (Papa) passed away after practicing his scales, he would sing this hymn at the top of his lungs. she then put her arms around me and wept into my shoulder saying, "I miss him so much Nilo," I held her close and tried to comfort her. Finally she calmed down, she looked me in the eyes and ran her hands through my hair and said, you remind me so much of him. I wish you could have known him, and then my ma came in and my uncle and the moment passed, but inside me she had awoken so many questions. She had spent the better part of her life apart from my Papa who died long before any of us was born. Decades later that love the string between their hearts that tied them together was just as strong, even though they were long separated by life and time.

Despite the questions she raised in my heart that day, questions like: Can I ever love someone like that? How would I handle the same situation? Can I ever inspire that kind of love in another human being? She answered the two biggest questions in my life.

Does love really exist? And if it does, what is it like?

She taught me that not only does love exist but it also defies logic, time, and death.
She showed me just how patient and faithful love is.
And she made me want to find it more than anything in the world.

Two years ago Nana passed on from this world.
She went to be with the man she loves and to meet the Savior she served faithfully all her life.

One day I too will go to my heavenly father, at that sweet moment of reunion when I see her again, I hope I can turn to her and say, "I missed you and I found that love you showed me, here she is. :) I served him with all my heart, and didn't let my flaws keep me from giving my all to him and putting my best into everything I did, so here i am No regrets and in case you were wondering, no I never forgot you." That would be the beginning of a beautiful ending.

And I will rejoice and praise God for all eternity for giving me such a wonderful lesson in what love is, through a heart that truly knew love.