"See you Tuesday..."

As I mentioned on Wednesday, in March of 2000 Marilyn and Will were still at my parent's house in Leesburg for about a week after I left for Hinsdale, IL.  While I was getting moved in, they were swimming, playing and spending lots of time at Walt Disney World.   It was difficult for me to work up much sympathy for them.  I really should have known better...

Since Will's birth in July of 1995, there had seldom been a week when my his Gigi and Pawpaw didn't make the drive to Kissimmee to spend a day with him.  More often than not, those days included time at WDW (pictures are of my Dad and Will at WDW and blowing out the candles on the birthday cake for Jesus we used to do every Christmas Day).  Well before he could walk, they would take him to the parks and just hang out.  They met the characters, found the best places for him to take naps and exposed him to the wonders of WDW.  As he got older and began to have a better understanding of the place, he had specific things he loved to see and do (not always your normal stuff by the way) and they would make certain he got to do it all.  He was there so often that the costumed characters would recognize him and pay him special attention.  Over the last year or so when Will was in the pre-school at FUMC-K, they would generally come on Tuesday.  It became a pattern, and one that Will loved.

We knew that our move to Illinois was going to be very hard on my parents.  We also knew that Will, at age 4, didn't really grasp that we were leaving Gigi and Pawpaw behind.  We joked about how disappointed he was going to be when we arrived in Clarendon Hills and "going to the park" meant swings and slides, not Baloo and Goofy.  And we knew he was going to miss his grandparents- terribly.

Despite many tears in private, Bill and Anne Jones had managed to hide their sadness from Will.  As I mentioned, they played together right up until time for he and Marilyn to get on the plane and come join me in Chicagoland.  Dad and Mom took them to the airport, holding back the tears as they said good-bye in the terminal.  As Marilyn and Will started to board, Will turned back to his grandparents, smiled a big smile and said, "See you Tuesday, Gigi and Pawpaw!"  Marilyn then rushed him onto the plane so he would not see the inevitable.  My parents completely fell apart, and Marilyn was trying her best to hold it together.  It was so sweet, so childlike- and so painful. 

We would all survive the experience.  Mom and Dad would come visit us in Illinois on several occasions over the following 18 months, and we had great adventures there as well.  Will loved our little local park, and still got to visit WDW when we visited Florida.  It's been almost 11 years since that day at the airport.  My Dad passed away in 2006.  At his memorial service I told the gathering that he had been a good father, coach and friend- but he had been a GREAT grandfather.  He was an amazing influence in my son's life (and mine).  My Mom still is.  Will calls her every weekend to fill her in on what is happening in his life (and to give her movie reviews!), and she was here just last weekend.  But nothing that happened before or since can bring tears to our eyes as quickly as the words "See you Tuesday..."  I'll see you all tomorrow with another round of Shout Outs!

Because of Jesus,