Everything happens for a reason...even in a cemetery...part 1

A few Fridays ago, after the cereal drive presentation in San Antonio, Ian and I had planned to go take flowers out to Rowan's grave in the Hill Country, like I do every Friday.  It should have only taken us about an hour to stop at HEB for flowers and get out to the cemetery.  However, mishap after mishap (or so that's what we thought they were) kept happening, and after about 3 hours...we never even made it inside the cemetery grounds, instead we turned around and went home.  Let me explain...

Nearly half way there, I decided to exit off of FM 3009 to buy the flowers at the HEB there instead of the one on TX-46.  As I started to exit, we immediately noticed that a wrong way driver was coming up the ramp, towards us and the cars in front of us.  I pulled over to the side and we saw the car crash into multiple other vehicles that were exiting up ahead of us.  Ian and I could not believe how quickly multiple Schertz PD, fire trucks and EMS arrived on the scene.  First responders jumped into action so quickly, tending to the drivers and passengers of the multiple cars involved.  There was obviously no exiting at that point, and traffic backed up for quite a bit.  So after the accident was cleared, we decided to keep traveling on I35 all the way to New Braunfels, and to go to the HEB on TX-46 for the flowers instead.

When we finally made it to that HEB, I clipped my car keys on the shopping cart, because I didn't have a purse with me.  Ian and I picked up a couple things, and chose the flowers we wanted to leave Rowan, and headed to the check out.  As soon as we got to the cashier, I told Ian, "Here, go ahead and put the cart back".  It wasn't until we had fully checked out and started walking back to the car that I realized I didn't have my keys! I told Ian to go grab them from the front where he returned our cart, but he said, "Mom, I handed the cart to someone who was walking in, it's in the store somewhere".  I felt so stupid.  Ian went looking all through the grocery, up and down the aisles, searching for someone with a cart with my keys on it.  I went up to the front and tried to find a manager who would make an announcement about my keys.  We were there for 45 minutes or more, until Ian finally spotted the man who had the cart with my keys hooked on them.  We laughed with relief, and finally headed to the car to continue out to the cemetery.

After the final 10-15 minutes of the drive to the cemetery, we neared the entrance from the highway, and we realized that they were in the middle of a HUGE memorial service for someone else.  There were cars overflowing the cemetery parking, and lining the sides of the highway.  We could have still parked and walked in to visit Rowan's grave, but Rowan's spot is so close to the pavilion, that I did not want interrupt a burial or their family's private service.  So, Ian and I looked at each other and I said, "I don't know why, but we we're just not meant to come out here today. Sorry.  Is it ok if we just go home now?"  He agreed, and we did.

The next morning, Saturday morning, I woke up early and drove out to the cemetery myself.  I didn't want to wake Ian up so early, especially after the crazy time we had trying to get out there the afternoon before, so I went alone.  It was so cool and peaceful in the morning, much different than my typical afternoon visits.  I really enjoyed my time there that morning.  I was about to pack up and leave when my sister texted me a link to a song, Ed Sheeran's "Supermarket Flowers".  I sat on my blanket, listening to the video, and started bawling.  I was heading out to Ohio to bury my Mom in a matter of days, and the song is about losing your Mother...so you can imagine.

All of the sudden, someone grabbed me from behind and hugged me.  I was so startled! Apparently, because I was crying and listening to the song, I had not heard them approach me.  It was two people actually.  I had not heard my dear friend Juan say "hey, beautiful" as he reached out to hug and console me.  I had not noticed his beautiful, very pregnant wife, Carissa walking up alongside him.  As my eyes finally cleared from the tears, I was able to make them out...and I burst into happy tears instead of mournful ones.  We hugged tightly, and I apologized for almost punching Juan, as they apologized for scaring me.  It didn't take long before it all came together and started to make sense.

I finally knew the reason why Ian and I had never made it to the cemetery the night before.  If we had, I would not have gone the next morning.  If I had not, I would not have been there when our dear friends, Juan and Carissa, just happened to be stopping by to visit Rowan's grave themselves that morning.  I learned that they had visited his grave on other occasions too (which I did not know), and that Carissa's daughter, Isabella, sometimes played with the little army man on Rowan's grave when she joined her Mommy there, which touched my heart so deeply.  I had not seen them since they joined us in our home the night of Rowan's memorial service and burial, so I was so overwhelmed to see them there on this morning. 

Now, it all made sense.  Everything happens for a reason...

even in a cemetery...

there is "Hope"...

Juan and Carissa stayed with me quite a while that Saturday morning, in the cemetery, hugging me... letting me cry, crying with me... letting me laugh, laughing with me... sharing details with me about their own upcoming life changing event, the birth of their first child. 

Talking about births and deaths, inside a cemetery, next to a child's grave (especially your own child's), with a beautiful, glowing pregnant Momma...I can't even begin to explain how surreally special that moment was...it was a God moment, undoubtedly.  Beauty and pain, became one in the same... that is the only way I can describe it.

I have been so overwhelmed with life lately, that I have barely blogged even half of the things that I have wanted to for weeks... this blog post is one of the ones that has been waiting to be written.  Ironically (or not), tonight is the first night I have had time to finish this post.  I started it 18 days ago!  However, there is a perfect explanation for why I finally had time to finish it tonight...

Congratulations to Juan and Carissa Galvis, on the birth of your precious, beautiful, "fearfully and wonderfully made" daughter, Alejandra Sofia, this week. 

Isabella is going to be a terrific big sister to Alejandra! 

We love your happy, growing family with all of our hearts! 

Cannot wait to get to hold that precious baby girl of yours!

And thank you for loving and continuing to remember our precious baby boy, Rowan, all these days... we cannot wait to love on Alejandra, with the same beautiful hearts that you have shown us.

She is absolutely gorgeous!  Like her Momma...

And silly, like her Daddy, already...