The Family Sieb Moment

Have you ever seen the movie, "The Family Stone?" I absolutely love that movie- it's one of my holiday favorites. One of my favorite scenes is when Meredith (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) hands out a picture of her fiance's mother, who at the time is dying cancer. Your eyes swell up as you watch their emotions and reactions to seeing their beautiful mother, so young and healthy. In the picture, she is pregnant with her youngest child. You can't help but cry knowing that she has just a few short months left to live. This Christmas, I got live a moment similar to this scene in the movie, My Family Sieb moment.
***

I knew I could frame a wedding picture of Justin and myself for Christmas presents this year. But I wanted to do something different. When I first was going through our wedding pictures, I came across this picture of Justin's Great Grandpa Bowen. It was simply a magical picture, taken in a reflective moment of Roy Bowen's life.

I'm not sure what he was looking at or what he was thinking. But tears fill my eyes now as I imagine him sitting there in the pew, full of joy and love. Excited to see his young great-grandson get married to this wild firecracker of a young lady (yes, that's me). Yet, he was dying of cancer. Just as my life was just beginning, his life was ending. We were peacefully living the same moment, but he was sitting there with just a few short months to live.
***
So I did some Photoshop work and added a quote to the picture- one that fits Great Grandpa Bowen and the picture perfectly......

 I saved the picture of Great Grandpa Bowen for last. I watched as his daughter opened the gift, probably expecting to see a picture of Justin and myself. Instead, her face curled and tears streamed down her face.

"Oh my gosh," was all she got out at first.

Tears filled my eyes and I looked around the room. I had made everyone cry, but the tears represented the love and memory we all shared for this one man.

Today, I recieved a card in the mail Grandma Sieb. It made me cry again.

She thanked us for the Christmas presents and added, "And the picture- well words can't explain how my heart feels everytime I look at it. He was truly loved and is truly missed. Thank you so much for the thoughtfulness straight from your heart."
 ***
As the year is coming to an end, we are closing another chapter in our life. We are given more opportunity to make new memories. To have share many more tears and give straight from our heart- in all we say and do.

Much love,
Ashley