On March 31, 2007 I was spending a relaxing afternoon on the waters of Lake Southerland.  While I was sitting in the boat with my best friend, I stopped moving and thinking and just closed my eyes and listened to what was happening around me.  With my eyes closed I heard silence and this silence was so beautiful.  A gust of wind blew through and I heard it, I heard the wind and the water splashing beneath the boat. I opened my eyes and looked around; I saw green rolling hills and mountains surrounding me.  Birds of all kind flew the skies on this day.  Beautiful birds, white birds, black birds, ducks and even playful sparrows. Throughout the day I was in Aw of the beauty Lake Southerland had on this day.  I felt like I was stranded in paradise.  The trees seemed to be perfectly round, not a branch out of place.  The earth around was perfect, no evidence of man anywhere, just nature.  At the end of my day on the boat, we stopped right in the middle of the water; I looked up at the mountains to see that I was in perfect alignment to the most amazing view of a row of mountain peaks looking back at me.  The sinking sun was shining through and the green mountain peaks seemed so perfect like a painting or a wish.  At this moment I asked my self, “Why is it that this day has been so perfect and so beautiful?” Later that night my question was answered in full.  My grandmother, Helen Salmon, passed on that night.  When I found out I realized that the beauty nature showed me was a gift to her.  A gift to make her last day with us beautiful and perfect because she was perfect. This is how I will always remember her.  Helen to me is love, peace, and beauty.  I will miss her with all my heart, but like the magical day on the lake, her heavenly impression will last with me until we meet again.

Grandma,

 

It has been an honor and privilage to have known you, to have loved and been loved by you, to be named after you.  Your strength of character, your infectous humor, and your ever abiding faith are all a part of the fabric that makes me who I am.  You have shown me how to give of myself without reservation, how to love without condition, and how to have Faith without having doubt.  I am forever greatful to the Lord above that He has placed you in my life.  I am all the better for having known you.

 

All of my love,

Although she wasn't, I called her my grandma anyways, and she was the closest thing I had to one for the past 15 years.

R.I.P Great Grandma
While your gone your memories you have left are not
When we went to Macy's you had atleast 50 credit cards in your wallet and majority of them belonged to stores that didn't even exist
Or all the time we would go to eat you always gave us a quarter for a candy
Or your sweet hugs
Or when we said, "Hi great Grandma," your sweet voice always said,
"Hi Sugar's how are you,"
Or your sweet laugh
All of these things and more I'll miss about you
And even though your time has come now and you have left us all here
We know that when our time comes we will once more be with you
and never lose you again
I Love You So Very Much Great Grandma

My Dearest Grandma,

Words cannot express how special you are and how much you mean to me.  Thank you for loving me with all you have, always holding me tight in your arms, teaching me everything you know, and watching me grow up.  You have always been there for me, praying for me.  Thank you most of all for teaching me about Jesus and showing me how to pray.  I could not have hand picked a better grandma.  I will always cherish your warm smile, soft touch, and gentle spirit. I treasure those precious moments we shared together and hold them dear to my heart.  I love you and miss you grandma, but I know we will meet again some day.