Friends and Family Knew They Were Loved

I listened intently to the tribute the family gave to their mother and grandmother. With tears in their eyes, each child and grandchild stood and said, “I knew I was loved.”

I said to the group at her Celebration Service, “This is rare to see grandchildren cry over their grandmother. In this day there is a breach between grandparents and grandchildren. For some of us, Facebook is our only communication with our grandchildren.

But for Elaine Hyde, there were weekly phone conversations with her family right up to her last breath. She was always available to each one of them.

Two weeks before she passed, the grandchildren were still calling her and telling her about their grades and studies. Her mind was sharp and she was interested in each one of them. They all knew that their grandmother prayed for them by name.

What an amazing woman. When I received the phone call telling me that my good friend, Elaine Hyde, had passed on, my first thought was, Oh no, she was the hub of the family, what will the family do?

I asked the caller, “Does everyone know about Elaine passing?”

“No. The newspaper went to press a day early, it was Thanksgiving week. The news was 35 minutes late from making the deadline. The paper was already being printed when they called.”

“The Celebration Service is on Saturday. Everyone is out of town. A big storm is supposed to hit Colorado. Few people know.”

How will the family get here? In my mind, no one was ready.

“They can’t get flights at this late date. Most of them are driving.” The caregiver asked, “Who do you know that knows Elaine?”

My mind plugged into 1977. Elaine and I taught the teenagers at the First Baptist Church. We started the 5^th Quarter. “Does the Aldridge girls know? What about the Davidson boys, the Watkins, the Days, the Lattins, and the Laues? I needed to let my children know. I named everyone I could think of, then I started calling.

At the service I said to one of her children, “It’s kind of like Mother Teresa, she passed in the shadow of Princess Di. I always thought it was the way she wanted it be. It was never about fanfare, it was about her mission in life. Elaine’s mission was to build a strong family unit and spread the gospel. She didn’t care about fanfare, either.

The family said, “Mother was ready.”

I said to them, “I’ve never known your mother not to be ready to meet Jesus. His name was always on her lips and her prayers for her family were constant. From Snowball Road, she touched an enormous world. She was a missionary to her family first, then everyone else.

Each one said, “We always came to the ranch to feel safe. Pagosa was a place we could bring our kids and even our dogs. We were always welcome.”

The legacy she left for her family will continue to go forth. The Hyde Family was a strong family in our community. The Hydes’ grew up with Pagosa and Pagosa grew up with them. They left a strong and deep path for many hearts to follow. Judge Hyde was a man of integrity and justice, Elaine, a woman who cared about everyone.

I looked at the photos on the screen. She smiled with her heart. Her family talked about all the love they felt and how she was always there.

My first thought when I heard about Elaine was what will the family do? Who will be the hub? She kept the family together. Her children and grandchildren are products of Bert and Elaine Hyde. Their children are going to do just fine.

She loved much. Friends and family all knew that Elaine loved them.

Final Brushstroke! Elaine, You didn’t meet the deadline, but you met the big deadline, you were ready. You left behind a path for all of us. We’ve learned so much from your life and how you lived and loved.  Thank you for your faithfulness. It’s an honor to call you friend.