Im still trying to find the right words, but the only word that seems to fit is heartbroken. Although she was my Aunt, she was that and so much more. Beginning at the age of 8, she was my other momma during summer break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. So many times she would make the trip to Ohio to pick us up, never complaining about the drive. Aunt Flo was not only the chauffeur hauling her 4 kids around, but also my brother Cory Smith and myself. Wherever she took her kids, we automatically went too. I have been to so many Harmon family reunions, 4H cattle shows, summer vacations to the beach, and trips to the cabin. During all of our trips she always treated my brother and myself as her 5th and 6th kids. While visiting her in the hospital she would introduce me as her 4th daughter; just the other week I heard her tell a nurse she had a red-headed daughter! She loved to pick on us in such a fun-loving way, always with that beautiful smile. She always gave me a hard time about my silky shorts in junior high, at the same time Id give her a hard time about her hair being blue from the black hair dye. We have stories of green mascara and even the memory of a certain string while at the beach. She loved to call my brother Perky and still to this day he answers to it. (He can share the story that created the nick-name!) While at her house we did whatever we wanted, as long as we didnt pick on Cory or David too much. I have only been in one knock-down-drag-out fight my whole life and she came home from work to break it up! (I won that fight btw Cathy Smith Hall) One of the best memories I have is going through the drive-thru with her hundreds of times and with a car full of kids. We would get her so torn up trying to order that we would end up with 12 cheeseburgers, 1 fry and 2 small drinks for all of us. As we got older and realized we could get her all bent out of shape at the drive-thru, we would change our orders just to get her frazzled! But you know...she kept taking us back time and time again! She was the original wraper...she would duck tape me for each pageant I ever did...I went from a size 10 to size 2 in a matter of minutes! The Smith belly disappeared, while the chest grew (so, so much cheaper than plastic surgery or Spanx)! The Blizzard of 93 was spent with her too, the best time I have ever had snowed in anywhere! My own two daughters have always called her Mammaw Flo, and she was a wonderful Mammaw to them too. We all loved to go to her house, always planning on just staying a few hours, but ended up there for half the day or night. David learned quickly after we were married he should drive separate. Her house is just comfortable. Every time you walk in you feel like you are at home. It will always feel that way because of her. The hardest part of the last 10 weeks has been to watch her fight for her life. She was a fighter. She was full of Praise. She was a Witness. She was a caregiver. She is the strongest person I know. Uncle Rod, Rhonda Phipps, Cathy Hall, Pam Taylor, David Smith have been some of the strongest people I have ever seen. The way they took such excellent care of her speaks mountains about the type of wife and mother she was. They are a testament to the type of person she was...strong, giving, loving and caring. I am so heartbroken, but I know without a doubt I will again hear..and heres my other daughter Missy. I cant wait for that day!
Posted on: Wed, 09 Apr 2014 04:47:58 +0000
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