Lillian Dawn Evans
I confess to being extremely sentimental and love things that have a family story with them. I know I get it honest because Momma was that way, too, which I learned in a big way when we had to prepare the family home to be sold after Momma’s homegoing. Momma had kept boxes of things from our childhood and it was rather fun going through them. We disbursed as much of Momma’s estate as we could and it was really hard to let go of the things that none of us could use. But I kept a lot of hers and Daddy’s personal items and many of the artwork pieces that she did. Having some of the things they enjoyed gives me comfort.
And sometimes you come across something that is a blessing to someone else and continue the legacy! That happened to us recently. In Momma’s cedar chest, I found a yellow dress for a newborn baby girl. When I saw it, I immediately knew what it was. I was 13 when my baby brother, Doug, was born. I am sharing the story of the little dress here to show how the Lord blesses even when it takes years to get it done!
Being sentimental and cherishing mementoes isn’t a bad thing. Even when the memories those tangible things bring also brings tears, they are still a reminder of the person and the love you have for them. I don’t apologize for being sentimental - and I still cry when the memories are tender.
Make memories and cherish the moments while you can. They can give comfort and be a blessing in ways you may never know.
Shared in love,
Cris
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Little Yellow Baby Dress
Our brother, Doug, was born 10 years after our brother Chuck. Needless to say, Mom and Dad had long since gotten rid of all of the baby clothes they had. So the family gave Mom a little baby shower.
When Mon and Dad were expecting this 4th child, it was in the age before ultrasounds and gender reveal parties. Back then, you didn’t know the gender of the baby until it was born, so there was a lot of speculation and wishing during those 9 months.
Mom’s father, our Grandpa Bernard Grubb, was a coal miner and was dying from a form of black lung. He told our grandmother that he felt like Mom was going to have a baby girl and had our Grandma Lizzy buy “the prettiest little-girl dress” she could find for them to give to the baby.
This is that little dress. Yellow and lacy, tiny for a newborn, and so very pretty!
And on October 10, 1962, Mom delivered a beautiful, healthy - baby boy, Douglas Claude Evans, Jr.!
Dad said that when he called Grandpa and Grandma Grubb with the news, Grandpa laughed and told them to keep the dress for Doug’s little girl.
That’s what Mom did. She put the beautiful little dress away in her cedar chest and kept it for Doug to grow up, marry, and have a daughter of his own - which didn’t happen either! Doug had a son!
Then on October 5, 2022 - 60 years after the newborn’s dress was given to Mom and Dad, Doug’s son Drake and his wife Amanda had that little girl - Lillian Dawn Evans.
The beautiful little dress now has a baby girl to wear it! And Lilly is fulfilling her Great-great-grandparents’ and her Great-grandparents’ wishes!
