She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. - Proverbs 31:26

Kaki was not one for dramatic gestures or spotlights, but her beautiful life was made up of a million tiny moments where she faithfully showed up to love others in humility and patience, teaching and listening with kindness and truth. 

She taught us how to garden and spell and speak Spanish. She passed on a love for literature and learning and telling stories. She and Bigdaddy took us on trips to Disney World, Mentone and Europe, and a thousand other places where our imaginations could go even when our feet couldn’t. But most of all, our Kaki showed us the love of Jesus through the way she lived her entire life.

She was never too busy or hurried for us-- but would sit for hours and listen to a little girl’s ramblings and jokes and songs. She listened when that same little girl felt too small and afraid to go to Sunday School by herself, so Kaki went to class with her that first Sunday and then every Sunday after that, never leaving her side to make her feel a little braver and a little less alone. 

All along, Kaki was giving us beautiful glimpses of our God, who never leaves us in our fear or doubting or rambling prayers, but remains the steadfast Immanuel, God with us. 

Because of this Christ-like love she gave us, we never had to doubt, not even for a moment, that we were so wonderfully cherished. We never had to doubt that we mattered to God and we mattered to her. 

Even in her last days, I am confident that she was still listening to us as we told stories and sang songs, as we tried to give back a small portion of all the things she gave to us simply by showing up, hoping to make her feel a little braver and a little less alone until she was safely in the arms of Jesus. 

We are going to miss our Kaki deeply, but we are also rejoicing in the God who fully heals and restores. What an honor it is to be her granddaughter and what a hope we have in Jesus that we will see her again.

In loving memory of Carolyn Reeser