Thursday, May 10, 2007

BETH ANN

Daryl had one sister growing up, Elizabeth Ann. She was 5 years older and beautiful in every aspect of the word. She was also Down syndrome and one of the most precious people I had ever met. Everyone called her Beth Ann.

She was gentle, kind and full of laughter. I can hardly remember her in any mood except happy. She loved life and everyone in it. Never was an unkind word found on her tongue. She didn’t know a stranger nor an enemy, everyone that had ever met her loved her instantly. She had a very charismatic personality.

She loved to sing alto. She didn’t know her numbers and couldn’t read, but if you gave her the name of any song in the songbook she could find it and sing it word for word, all 3 verses. When we would go to visit her, she would sit by me at church and say, “I sitten by you. We sing ‘halto’ (alto) together,” and we did!

Beth Ann also loved to sit on the porch swing. She would start swinging and in minutes get the swing up to light speed. While swinging, she would laugh loudly and talk with her friends, except there wasn’t anyone there except her. If you listened, it always sounded like there was a handful of children on the porch or swing with her.

Beth Ann also loved food, any food. After filling her plate she would start with one of the foods and eat it until it was all gone. She would never touch any of the other foods until that particular thing was gone. After each meal she would announce “You are a hod (hard) cooker” and then place a big kiss on your cheek.

She loved movies, records, The Partridge Family, makeup and songbooks. She would sneak around the house gathering up other’s movies, records, songbooks, makeup and stash them in her room.

She had a pretend daughter and husband. She also had a bad habit of pretending to smoke. I think she missed the information that ‘smoking kills.” She would discipline her daughter and kiss her husband. Her imagination never ran out. Once when my girls were little they asked, “Where do you get a little girl like Beth Ann? We want one when we grow up.” I informed them that God only gave little children like Beth Ann to special people and if you wanted someone special like Beth Ann you would have to ask God about it.

Beth Ann went to heaven in October 2005 after a lengthy illness. Heaven was a brighter place with her presences, earth a little dimmer. We all cried, but our tears were soon replaced with the fact that she was with God. She had fought the good fight and won.

I know she is in heaven right now singing ‘halto’ (alto) at the top of her voice, swinging barefoot while touching the treetops with the tips of her toes, laughing, laughing, laughing and enjoying every aspect of the Lord.

Matthew 18:3-6
And He said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes Me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

Mark 10:14
He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

14 comments:

Neva said...

I bet the singing there is just beautiful---and I wonder if she is so busy singing, she has forgotten to "smoke" ?
:)

Peace and prayers, my sister
Neva

Anonymous said...

pretend smoking isn't nearly as bad as pretend dipping. I'm glad God gave you someone like that to love and be loved by.

ned

(I'm stalking Neva)

Anonymous said...

Beth Ann sounds amazing. I look forward to meeting her. :o)

Monalea said...

Neva,
I sure hope she has forgotten about smoking. You continue to make me laugh.

Ned,
Pretend dipping is bad, especially if it is followed by pretend spitting!!!
Also, if you are good at stalking, they are looking to hire 'night stalkers' at Walmart. I see it advertised all the time.

Anonymous said...

Wow, it looks like we were visiting each other's sites at the same time. :)

Monalea said...

Lisa,
You will just love her.
Monalea

Monalea said...

Lisa,
You and I are certainly talented!

Anonymous said...

how in the world did we get 3 comments in at the same time?!

Monalea said...

Lisa, I would like to see Don try this.......and not hurt himself.

Monalea

Anonymous said...

Okay, you gotta stop that. (o;

Monalea said...

Lisa,
Women can talk at the same time, and still understand!

Monalea

TREY MORGAN said...

Beth Ann was beautiful.

The Preacher's Household: said...

You ladies be nice to Don. Wait till he starts commenting over here then you can pick on him.

I love that your girls asked for such a special person and that you answered "You have to ask God for one". We more often ask for God to not give us one so that was a great attitude to instill in them.

Do you think she is singing the song, "Just a Swinging"?
the Giggler

Anonymous said...

Beth Ann was my light and joy. I feel blessed beyond all things that God shared such a beautiful and precious child of his with me. I still hear her laughter and singing and will never forget the Jurassic Park was one of her favorite movies, she, Rebekah and I was at wal-mart with her one time and bekah and I look behind us and bethy was gone. We look down an aisle and she was running the other way gabbing at nothing but air, we realized she was trying to grab up her daughter and punish her. I love you Beth Ann and cannot wait to be singing right next to you in heaven

~LouLou~