She was loved. By everyone she met, she was loved. She was many 
titles to many people. She was a mother, Tia, grandmother, Abue, koo koo, and beloved to many others. She lived a long life, longer than most. There are many things that I will remember about her but what I will remember most and what I am most thankful for is the special relationship she had with Charlie. Their relationship was unmatched. From an early age Charlie adored her, and they would bring each other much joy especially when they ate Hawaiian bread and chicken nuggets and mac and cheese together!
She was loved. Before she was born, she was loved. If she was a girl, she would be named Olivia Rose. Olivia meaning peace, and Rose meaning Gods most gracious gift. From the beginning she lived up to her name, a name God gave us way before I became pregnant. This year was a crazy year, but over and over Olivia was a rose blossoming in the desert.
Beginning in the Fall Mike’s Abue would constantly ask me when Olivia was coming, and tell me that she needed to hurry up. My response to her was always that she needed to hang on until Olivia was born, because it was evident during these conversations that she was holding on for her. One of the most prominent things that was prayed over me and that we believed during my pregnancy was that Olivia would be born at just the perfect time, but as the week closed in on my delivery date Abue became unresponsive and it looked like that in the same week, and maybe even the same day, we would be saying goodbye to our precious Abue while welcoming our daughter into the world. We believed that Olivia would be born in God’s perfect time but this week I cried while asking God so THIS is your perfect timing? There was absolutely nothing perfect about the thought of saying goodbye to one loved one and happy birthday (yup the nurses and doctor said happy birthday to Olivia as soon as she was born) to another in the same week.
In the afternoon on Thursday of last week Mike got the call that his Abue had less than 24 hours to live. It was that afternoon that I began to have real contractions, and our fear of loosing Abue and welcoming Olivia into the world on the same day became a very probable reality. It was that night that Abue passed on from this earth to heaven where she will experience no more pain and no more tears. She passed away around 11 pm only minutes after she was told that I was in the hospital in labor. I delivered our beautiful daughter Olivia around 2:22. From birth she continued to live up to the scripture meaning of her middle name Rose.
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the rose; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing.
Isaiah 35: 1-2
I find it so easy, and I am sure you do too, to fall into the trap of questioning God’s timing and if He is indeed answering prayers. It was easy for me to fall into that trap the week before Olivia was born. Mike’s dad, Fred, shared this on FaceBook shortly after Olivia was born. This day has been both sad and joyous. Less than 3 1/2 hours after our Abue passed away, our lovely granddaughter Olivia Rose was born. After finalizing funeral arrangements and seeing this beautiful child for the first time, thoughts and prayers of gratitude to God went up for all that transpired today. We lost, yet we welcomed. We mourn yet we have joy unspeakable. How wondrous are your ways, O Lord. Fred’s words couldn’t ring more true, and God’s truths have been with us the entire time. He truly does give us the desires of our hearts when we seek Him, His timing is perfect, joy really does come in the morning, and Olivia Rose will always be a reminder that these truths are truly God’s most gracious gifts.
