It came to me quickly, so I am sure about this one. Grief…. We have all experienced it some time or another. When our loved ones leave us to go to the better place… Well it leaves us here asking the questions that will never be answered. Why? Why him/her? Why now?? We know before we even ask these questions that they will not be answered, but we ask them anyway.
My daddy was the youngest of 12 and I am the youngest of 6, which means I have been to A LOT of funerals. A grandmother, a nephew, twenty or more aunts and uncles, eight or so first cousins, lots of friends and mentors and of course, my daddy. They never get easier, and I’m pretty sure they never will. I can’t even try to recall how many pets … Bless their little hearts too. Everyone grieves differently, I have witnessed this first hand. Which is fine, but I honestly believe that everyone should grieve and not hold in your emotions.
3 days after I got my idea for this article, a truly great man was called home. We here on earth may think it was way too soon, but we have to assure ourselves that God has a plan, a plan for all of us. I have known Mark Herndon, well as long as I can remember. His whole family have been part of Snellville and our hearts for years. And his wife Kelly…. Well we have been friends since 1976/1977, Snellville Middle School. Oh the stories we have and the memories we have made. But I shouldn’t disclose any of those now…
However, when I told my mother about the passing of Mark, she said, “he isn’t much older than you.” No, he is not, ‘mama, do you remember my friend Kelly King?’ She giggled, and said, “of course I do!!” Remember when we went to pick her up one day and she was on her roof?? She just climbed down and got in the car like, no big deal!!” I said it wasn’t, that’s Kelly!!” She had made me laugh a lot over the years and I love her just as much today as I did almost 40 years ago!! I pray that God will wrap his arms around this family in the next month’s to come.
I was at Mark and Kelly’s wedding on that Saturday morning, first wedding I had been to with a harp. Seems fitting that a harp was playing when God joined them together and there were angels playing harps as Mark entered the gates of heaven…..
Much love to all who knew him. Hug yourselves. 🙂
Mandy Snell is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about growing up in Snellville and its history. Have any ‘Growing up in Snellville’ stories to share? Comment below!
