{"id":722,"date":"2013-03-03T00:33:17","date_gmt":"2013-03-03T00:33:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kandynolesstevens.com\/?p=722"},"modified":"2013-03-03T00:33:17","modified_gmt":"2013-03-03T00:33:17","slug":"for-the-love-of-boys-and-trucks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/?p=722","title":{"rendered":"For the love of boys and trucks"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"papa's<\/a>It never ceases to amaze me. God will put something in my head as a topic for this blog, and then He gives my heart confirmation that He meant it.\u00a0 It happens all the time.\u00a0 In fact, it happened today.<\/p>\n

I had been thinking about how I had never really written about my little blue pick-up truck.\u00a0 Well actually, it was my Papa\u2019s (pronounced Pawpaw) truck.\u00a0 Long ago, I lived with my grandparents in graduate school.\u00a0 That time of my life remains one of my most special.\u00a0 One day after classes, my Mama (Mawmaw) told me that they were working on their will\u00a0and were wondering if there was anything that I had my heart set on.\u00a0 Looking back, the conversation was quite comical.<\/p>\n

How about one of the cedar chests?<\/p>\n

Sorry shug, your cousin has already asked for those.<\/em><\/p>\n

How about your bedroom furniture?<\/p>\n

No, I\u2019m sorry that is going to your Momma and Daddy.<\/em><\/p>\n

How about the kitchen chairs?<\/p>\n

Well, um, no hun. Another cousin has already spoken for those.<\/em><\/p>\n

(Eyebrows raised) The old stool we used to all play on?<\/p>\n

Nope.<\/em><\/p>\n

(Exasperated) Well, how about you just give me that old truck and the lawnmower.\u00a0 That ought to be about good.<\/p>\n

Done!<\/em><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t rightly know all the circumstances, but the old truck was sold off much to my broken heart. I loved that old green Ford my Papa drove when we carried out our adventures. \u00a0But some\u00a0short time after \u201cmy\u201d Ford was sold; he purchased a little blue pickup.<\/p>\n

As time wore on, my Papa slipped further away from us due to dementia.\u00a0 Slowly, his memories and recollections just faded away.\u00a0 He began to forget generations of people.\u00a0 All of us grandkids morphed into one of his children. By the time he arrived at the Alzheimer\u2019s unit at the nursing home, there were only two things he remembered with certainty.<\/p>\n

He knew that my Mama was his gal.\u00a0 And the second thing he remembered was he had a little blue truck.\u00a0 Of course, how we found out about that memory was something else.\u00a0 Papa (who went by Mr. Reed at the home) was being pushed down the hall by another gentleman. When asked where they were going, the other man told the nurse that they were going to take Mr. Reed\u2019s little blue pickup for a spin.<\/p>\n

After he passed away, Mama gave the pickup to my dad.\u00a0 I think he just felt wrong about it, and he turned around and gave it to me.\u00a0 When we drove it back from our meeting spot in Arkansas, we told Reed that the truck would be his someday.\u00a0 From one Reed to another.<\/p>\n

As we know, that plan didn\u2019t turn out as hoped.\u00a0 For nine years, she\u2019s been used to haul anything too large or too messy for our other vehicles. In January, plans began to fix up that little blue truck for Sawyer.\u00a0 Eighteen years old and only 62,000 miles.\u00a0 We figured she has a few more years left in her. My parents told Mama what we were doing, and one day I got a call from her saying that she knew that Papa had to be so proud knowing that one of my boys was driving that truck.<\/p>\n

Today as I was driving down the road to one of my kiddo’s VIA (Very Important Appointments), I heard a song that had the tears flowing down.\u00a0 It was the confirmation I needed to know that I really was meant\u00a0to write this blog. My thoughts were tied to my heartstrings. I love it when God sends those heavenly assurances.<\/p>\n

Take a listen below and hopefully you will see what I mean. And, in case you were wondering, the place I feel closest to my Papa is in that truck. \u00a0And you better believe if \u201cSweet Home, Alabama\u201d<\/em>\u00a0or anything Hank Williams, Sr. comes on, we crank it way up!<\/p>\n