Momma Mia, Mea Culpa

As per my Uncle Rick’s request, I would like to honor my Gramma Evelyn’s passing, with the story below.

The Waterbug Story

Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of waterbugs. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. For many months they were very busy, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond. They did notice that every once in a while one of their colony seemed to lose interest in going about with its friends. Clinging to the stem of a pond lily, it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more.

“Look!” said one of the waterbugs to another, one of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk. Where do you think she’s going?” Up, up, up it slowly went. Even as they watched, the waterbug disappeared from sight. It’s friends waited and waited but it didn’t return. “That’s funny!” said one waterbug to another,”Wasn’t she happy here?” asked a second, “Where do you suppose she went?” wondered a third.

No one had an answer. They were greatly puzzled. Finally one of the waterbugs gathered its friends together. “I have an idea. The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where he or she went and why.” “We promise,” they said solemnly.

One spring day not long after the very waterbug who had suggested the plan, found himself climbing up the lily stalk. Up, up, up he went. Before he knew what was happening, he had broken through the surface of the water and had fallen into the broad and free lily pad above. When he awoke, he looked about with surprise. He couldn’t believe what he saw. A startling change had come over his old body. His movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail. Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse to move his wings. The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from his new body. He moved his wings again and suddenly found himself above the water. He became a dragonfly.

Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air. He felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere. By and by the new dragonfly landed happily on a lily pad to rest. That was when he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond. Why, he was right above his old friends, the waterbugs! There they were scurrying around, just as he had been doing sometime before.

Then the dragonfly remembered the promise. Without thinking, the dragonfly darted down. Suddenly he hit the surface of the water and bounced away. Now that he was a dragonfly, he could no longer go into the water…. “I can’t return” he said in dismay. “At least I tried. But I can’t keep my promise. Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body. I guess I’ll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too. Then they’ll understand what has happened to me, and where I went.” And the dragonfly winged off happily into a wonderful new world of sun and air.

Evelyn became a dragonfly on February 15, 2011 at 5:36am and I’m so glad. Because now she can soar as high as she wants to, along with her husband Ernie and still watch us through the pond which separates us. I feel a great peace in knowing that one day we’ll be together on the same lily pad, soaking up the warm rays of the sun.

*Most of you have come to know, and love my Grandmother Evelyn, simply through this blog. You’ve seen her photos, you’ve laughed at her video’s, and you’ve read her stories. She was an extraordinary woman. I am blessed to have had her in my life. I will never forget the life lessons she taught me. And I will be quoting her for many years to come. I am going to miss her very much.

This is how I will always remember her….

Gramma Evelyn, you will live forever, in my heart. See you on the other side.

[RIP Evelyn Josephine Colonna: 1/15/1925 - 2/15/2011]

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