A Sweet Farewell to "Elmo"

Last Friday. Zach's mom, Wytonia Hanlon, unexpectedly died. (Hence the lack of posts). We got the news while having dinner with my twin sister, Ashlei, who was in town for a friend's funeral (Ashlei lives in Texas). We were shocked and couldn't quite take it in.

Zach's mom was known to us as "Elmo". Her name was supposed to be Me-maw, but that came out of Ellie's mouth as "Elmo" and has stuck since. We shared the same birthday, and this past February she just turned 48. She has had a tough past few years after her son, Zach's brother Justin, died tragically in June 2008. She not only suffered with some depression with the loss of her son, but was also diagnosed in January 2009 with a blood disease known as TTP. She was getting treatments (blood transfusions) almost everyday and chemo every week for 6 months, and then slowly she was getting better and the treatments were becoming farther apart. We had just gotten news the day before she died that she was only going to be having them once a month! So as she was getting better with her disease, she was taken from this earth. We think it might have been a heart attack, although we still have not gotten the results back.

We are sad to say goodbye, but are thankful and confident in the fact that we know she is in heaven with our Lord, praising His name without any pain or suffering. Zach and I both are overjoyed by this statement because his mom has lived a tough life with a bad past. We have seen her overcome her struggles and draw close to the Lord. We have seen her attitude, actions, and life completely changed by the gospel. The past six months of her life we have strongly admired, and are sad we will no longer experience her joy and love... which came completely from her love of her Savior, Jesus Christ. She was someone who accepted everyone, I mean EVERYONE. She never looked down on you, loved you, and cared for you to the extreme. She could make anyone laugh, she had a sense of humor which brought a smile no matter what the circumstance was. She called us almost everyday, just to hear the sound of our voices and tell us she loved us. Ellie absolutely ADORED talking to her, they had a very unique relationship. One that I will miss, just because of the type of love she had for my daughter.

I'm sad that Ellie will never get to call her, jump with her, or know her sweet love anymore. She's so young that I think she will only remember what Zach and I tell her. Ainsley will never remember her, but I can surely say to her how much her grandmother did love both of them. Ellie could light up her day when nobody else could. Elmo was always the one person Ellie wanted to call. I am so thankful for the love, the joy, and the memories we did get to share together. She will never be forgotten and will always be in our hearts.