Your body, your heart, your soul
Have been put through hell from,
Your youth of them ‘good ol’ days’
A teenager, you treated yourself
As if you were restless, unstoppable.
Changing again as you became a young woman
Running down your body,
Using all your energy to keep up with work.

You became Wayne’s lover
A twenty year old bride
With a four year old girl, Julia
And a two year old boy, Billy
Both yours to love uncontrollably.
Then a single mother at twenty four
After you and Wayne decided
Your marriage wasn’t working out
You split up to make a better life.
Struggling to provide
For you, for your children
You somehow managed it
Holding on to everything you earned
Working long, late, difficult hours of the days and nights,
You made things work out.

Tragedy struck….
Taking the lives of both
Your mother and your son
Your sister, Greta survived
The accident was caused by a drunk driver
He crossed the line driving on the highway
It happened near Clintonville
On the drive up north, to Mayflower Lake
Your family became you and your daughter,
You still had your daughter
Beautiful, spiteful, and full of potential
She helped care for you when you needed her most.

As a junior in high school
Your daughter met a boy, Jeffery
He became your least favorite person
When your daughter came to you
She told you she was two months late.
Pregnant at sixteen
Your baby, your daughter
Unhappy you helped her to pull through,
Her job was to finish high school
And she did, with your help babysitting.



She married Jeffery with your support
Together they had three more children
A total of four munchkins calling for Nana
That’s you, a grandmother of four.
Supporting your daughter’s decisions
After eight years of mixed emotions
The husband she no longer knew
She needed to divorce Jeffery
You were there for her the whole way through,
Taking care of us children
Helping her out emotionally
Showing her how to be strong
Being her shoulder to cry on.

With your grandchildren all young adults
Moving you from Appleton to Oshkosh
You’d be closer to us than before
Coming to visit you in your apartment
Talking as we cleaned was always interesting.
Coming and going from the nursing home
It hurt to see you like that but you were getting better
You got ill a lot, but always bounced back healthy.

These thoughts raced through my head
As you laid there, in that hospital bed
Fighting to survive
Unable to get comfortable
Unable to eat, move, or talk on your own.
Swatting at the nurses to tell them ‘leave me alone’
Using the muscles in your face
To blink ‘yes or no’ to answer questions
I thought I’d see you later
Not saying I love you but telling you
I’ll be back and see you later.

When finally that night you let go
You knew we would be there
You knew we were strong
We loved you and still do.
As we gathered around that hospital bed, heartbroken
With tears streaming down our faces
Holding each other and apologizing
To the family that walked through the door.
Now you rest peacefully
In heaven with your son, Billy
Your parents and friends as well
You feel no more pain
You are comfortable and home
Sharla Mae Eaton, I Love You
Rest In Peace My Loved One,