Not the way we planned it

March 12, 1923

Iva Louise was born to Ellie and Pauline Mercer Nesmith in Georgetown County, South Carolina.  She was the second child, first girl.  Four sisters, Thelma, Carolyn Ann, and Beth would follow her.  They would all be Rudoph's little sisters.  Before Carolyn's birth, the family relocated to Florida where Ellie went to work for Mason Lumber Company.

1929

The Nesmiths moved to South Jacksonville and began to attend the Methodist Church nearby. They met Ted and Lonnie Huffigham and were invited to Sunday dinner.

That's the first time my mother met my father.

August 5, 1942

Iva Louis and Earl were married.  He was a soldier boy and went off to war to be gone for almost four years.  Upon his return, they began their family.  I was born, then Cindy three and a half years later.  We had a fun life.  In 1959 their first son,  Jonathan was born.  Two years later, a second son, Lester completed the family.

For 67 years our parents celebrated their love for God, each other and their family.  By now that family numbers almost 40 and that's without the step-grands and greats.  And, of course, there are babies to come.

Spring 2018

We began to plan our mother's 95th birthday.  We decided to forego a big party.  We will wait for her 100th.

We did plan a family luncheon at Beach Road Chicken Dinner.  We thought we would have 35 with us to celebrate on the Sunday before her birthday.  Her sisters (Carolyn, Ann, and Beth are still with us) planned a nice luncheon on the actual anniversary of her birth.

All was set

Until my mother got cold on Sunday, March 4.  That led to a cough and a diagnosis of exacerbated Chronic Oxygen Pulmonary Disease (COPD).  She was admitted and spent five days at Baptist South.

And so the plans were changed

We will just reschedule the Beach Road Chicken Dinner extravaganza.  The sisters will have lunch another day.

The good that came out of this:

Four of 11 grandchildren enjoyed one on one visits.  Her sisters gave her a book that is about each of their relationships with her and a balloon.


That night her cousin, Evalyn came and they enjoyed face-timing with some of their South Carolina Nesmith cousins.

In one of her scrapbooks is a poem that her aunt Lila Newton gave her when daddy was on the way to the Pacific in World War II.  I'm not positive about the words, but I do know the concept is that sometimes the plans we make get rearranged and that God always has a better way.

Were we wrong to plan the celebration?  No

Did it all work out?  Well, she still had a birthday.

It was just not the way we planned.

By now, she is recovering well, back at home at Brookdale Mandarin and seems quite happy to be once more in her pretty apartment and with her good friends.  And we will start thinking about her 100th birthday.  It will be big.  We need a long time to plan it

May your life be filled with enough sunshine

 to make you appreciate the shadows