A week ago Saturday, my Grandpa Ellis passed away quietly at home. After a 10+ year struggle with Dementia and strokes that left him blind and incapacitated, God decided it was finally time to call him home. I was lucky enough to spend countless hours with my grandparents in the past few years. I have slowly watched my Grandpa deteriorate over the years and, although it has been extremely hard on my family to watch, we were blessed to have so much time with him. I was so thankful I was able to spend some time with him hours before he passed.
There have been so many events in my life that my grandparents have been a part of. They lived close by so they were always at my dance recitals, school musicals, choir concerts, graduation, and even events in college. As I got older, I found myself praying that they would be around to see me get married and even though my grandpa wasn't in good enough health to attend the wedding, I know he understood what was happening. In the past few years, I have prayed that they would be around to meet their first Great Grandchild. When I found out I was pregnant, I was so thrilled to tell them. When I found out I was having a baby girl, her middle name was an easy choice...Ashley...after my grandpa, Marvin Ashley Ellis.
On May 15th Austyn Ashley came into the world and a week later, I was able to take her to meet her Great Grandparents. We arrived just as my Grandpa's caregiver was getting him out of bed. Although my grandpa couldn't speak, or see, he could definitely still feel. As my mom held Austyn close to him, he leaned his face close to hers and just held it there. I thank God for that moment in time. The pictures I was able to take are priceless and I will cherish them forever.
I can't wait to tell Austyn all about her name sake. She is a lucky girl to be carrying on a part of her great grandpa...she certainly has big shoes to fill, but I know my little girl is up to the challenge.
I would like to think God allowed my grandpa to stay on earth for me, to meet Austyn, but that just sounds selfish. In any event, he was here and that's all I could ever ask for.
