Flashback Friday - Judy

Tucker's Aunt Linda recently email us this really cute picture of Tucker's parents! It was taken in 1972 and his mom was about 5 months pregnant with him. They were around the ages of 25 (Judy) and 27 (Neal).

I've never met Judy. She died of complications with Leukemia when Tucker was 13 years old. Just as he started his Freshman year of High School and about one month before he turned 14. Tucker is the oldest of five kids, so she obviously left a lot behind. I have known Tucker for about 10 years now and I ponder this part of his "story" continually. I think of it from a mother's perspective and how it would feel to leave my children so young. I think of it from a husband's perspective and how helpless and lonely he must have felt. I think of it from a child's perspective and how lost and sad the children must have felt. I think of it from a sibling perspective, and how hard it would be to lose a sister. And the list goes on and on. I just simply cannot imagine it.

Tucker's family talks about Judy a lot. There are several stories that live on. From her journals, other's memories of her and these stories, I feel as though I know her a little. She was energetic, fun, optimistic, little and everyone who knew her loved her. So often, I wonder what she would think of me, or how she would be with our kids and even how Tucker's life would be different had she lived. Maybe he and I would have never crossed paths? So much would be different.

What I do know is that I have the most wonderful mother-in-law there could ever be in Jeannine. For the past 19 years, she has continued the big job of raising Judy's children in her absence. She is one of the strongest women I have ever met. Someday, I look forward to meeting my other mother-in-law Judy! She'll be able to tell me about Tucker's first 13 years of life....and I'll be able to tell her about the rest.