Bittersweet- Part Two

Bittersweet is how I’ve described my time in Florida the past two visits. During both occasions I was going home to a funeral. Larry drove Titus and me down to South Carolina where he passed us off to my brother and his children for the remaining drive down to Florida. It was hard to be in the car for so long. It’s a 12 hour drive that I get frustrated with. It’s hard to imagine how difficult it was for the three children. But it was the best time I’ve spent with my brother in years. We got to talk about all sorts of things for hours. And the children did a great job traveling. It was fabulous!


We arrived just in time for the visitation. Mind you 5 month prior, we went through the same ritual for my grandmother. It was no surprise to be there. Granddaddy had been struggling with Alzheimer’s for years. The surprise was in that he outlived her.

Saying Goodbye to my grandfather was difficult. He was such a wonderful man of God. I can’t speak highly enough of who he was or the impact he had in my life. As Shannon and Kelly eulogized him, we all knew he was in a much better place. My cousin Casey said, he didn’t know who would be more excited, Grandpa for seeing Jesus or Jesus for seeing Grandpa.

After the funeral, the wonderful part started to happen. Cousins that I grew up with, that I rarely get to see, all went back to Granny and Grandpa’s house. We spent the day together. Then the stories started, memories were shared, old pictures were brought out and the laughter began. All of this took part with our children playing around us. It was such a flashback to how we played when we were children. My Grandparents would have loved to have heard all that laughter in their home. To see the future generation of the Kinsey family.

You see my grandfather was consistent in sharing a passage of Scripture that he claimed as his life verses. He fell in love with these verses when he was Serving in Japan right after the war.

Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,

who walks in his ways!

You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;

you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine

within your house;

your children will be like olive shoots

around your table.

Behold, thus shall the man be blessed

who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion!

May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life!

May you see your children’s children!

Peace be upon Israel! Psalm 128

Oh how they would have loved to have seen their children’s children’s children.

My sweet traveling companion. :)