Mama, If I Die One Day... I Want To Come Back As Yours, Skip's Dog

Mama, If I Died One Day... I Want To Come Back As Yours, Skip's Dog
By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee

My son, Tommy, as a young boy... I miss you, Tommy, I miss you with my very Heart.  I miss a strawberry-blonde haired guy with a big sunshine smile... sparkling blue-green eyes.  You were so funny... interesting.  As my son... I not only loved you... I liked you as the person you were...
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Just months before Tommy died, he was at our home; he said something I never forgot.  I remember stopping whatever I was doing, I can't remember what... and looking at him.  He stood there with that bright, sunshiney face, grinning at me.  I felt pride when he said what he did to me.  I didn't know he thought about such...


We were always laughing, joking about something.  Skip and Tommy were always matching wits; and seeing who could come up with the funniest jokes.  They truly enjoyed that.  Afterwards... they'd walk away, and I could look outside, see them sitting, talking about real life events.  Sometimes, I would stand quietly, thank God for both of them.  They were my whole world... Skip, Tommy, and the Pups.  I'd watch their expressions... laughter, heads nodding to each other... their posture would be in harmony... mirroring each other.  I'd go do something else, smiling inside... thinking I was so fortunate to have my husband, my son.


Secretly, Tommy would 'gather Skip's jokes' to make them his own.  :)))  This was so when he was out on the road, he'd could tell them to other drivers.  He'd tell them to everybody... he admired Skip's sense of humor, and how 'quick Skip was to get on his feet'.  Skip could come back with a reply to anything... never searching for words to say something funny.  He is a natural... he has the gift of gab.  Secretly... Skip was proud that Tommy 'stole' his jokes, sayings; he and Tommy were very close.


Tommy was just as funny!  He could say the funniest things, keep us laughing.  He just didn't know what he admired about Skip... he, also... had the natural ability to tell funny jokes; to come back with something quickly... he always had 'words' to say.  Tommy had the gift of gab... he could 'talk up a storm'...


What was so funny... was when Tommy would forget...  tell Skip his own jokes!!!  I would watch Skip, loving what I'd see.  He'd put on a mock-face of being indignant... and say, "Tommy, you are telling me my own jokes"!!!  I would laugh; Tommy's face would begin to turn red... and then, he would laugh so much.  Skip made him laugh harder with the funny things he'd say...  I truly miss these days... times.


Tommy always reminded me of his beautiful red-headed grandmother.  She had red hair, blue eyes...  every time I see her in my mind...I see that smile!  Oh, she had a wonderful smile that wouldn't stop.


That's where Tommy got his strawberry-blonde hair, bright sunshine smile!  Imagine that... with golden sunlight all around them... that's what happens when I think of 'them' together... like one and one equals two...  Tommy and his grandmother, Igel... their heads thrown back laughing with pure abandonment; totally engrossed in their own joking, happiness being around each other.  One sensed they couldn't wait to see what the other would say... like volleying a ball back, forwards across the net.  Neither one of them was going to 'miss' it!  Their words, laughter was ... non-stop.

Tommy got his 'gift of gab' from his grandmother; his father's mother.  When Tommy was little, it was fun to see both of them, joking each other.  He loved his red-headed grandmother!  She talked to him constantly, when he was a little fellow... and he talked back to her before his words were... words.  How could he resist with such a happy, kind, face with jolly blue eyes, and beautiful red hair?


Tears come to my eyes... no one knows the love I had for her.  Tommy knew, Skip knews the love, respect I had for her.  He met her... in just a few minutes he saw 'why' I loved her; why I had such a wonderful impression of her.  He fell in love with her, too.


She became my mother, also... for almost 14 years.  Beautiful, sweet Arzie Igel.  I'll never-ever forget you.  You meant the world to me in my young world when I had no one.  I 'feel' you in my heart as I write about you.


Before I go on... I have to remember two other people here, that I loved very much... back then.  They are two more 'red-headed people with blue eyes with those bright sunshine-smiles'.  They were Tommy's grandmother's brother, Charles.... and her sister, Dip.  This... is where Tommy's bright sunshine smile came from... and his fun ways.


I have to remember Dip, Igel's sister.  She would get me to come spend the night with her... oh, what fun we had laughing, talking.  I grew to love this red-headed woman with the blue eyes, sunshine-smile, too!  This lady was Tommy's great-aunt.


Charles used to live on our property in his RV.  We'd walk down to see him; sit a while laughing, joking, talking.  His blue eyes would twinkle, and his red hair would shine in the sunshine.  His two sisters didn't have anything on him... his laugh, smile equaled theirs!  I loved him, too.  He, like his two sisters... let you know with those eyes, if they liked you.  Their eyes would sparkle with laughter, love... or they'd be cold as stone... they always sparkled at... me.  Tommy's eyes did the same... his eyes so like theirs... eyes so like mine.


When I moved to the North Carolina mountains as a very young girl... these three people stood out to me.  I loved them on instant sight... I didn't meet them all at once.  Through time, I met them... it was like meeting Igel all over again... more sunshine!  My son had that special smile... just like them.


Golden sunshine...sparkling blue eyes... Tommy's eyes blue like theirs-green like mine; depending on what he wore; the colors around him. My grandchildren, Tommy's children... have the same eyes... ones that can make you feel so loved, special.  But, if you don't do right... eyes that can stop you in your tracks.  Like Tommy's... like Igel; Dip; Charles... like mine.

Amazing how one can 'see' different family members in one child.  I'm always amazed seeing such... as children begin to mature.  For a time, they look just like one person only, to look like someone else in their families.  Finally... one day they look ... like themselves.  :)))


Oh, Tommy... how I miss your bright, sunshine smile.  I sit here with tears in my eyes, a smile on my face as I 'see' you in my mind... with your Grandma Igel...a little strawberry-blonde haired boy with a beautiful, young red-headed lady standing out in the sunshine... the golden light surrounding you both.  I remember you both with such special love in my heart... my precious son; my friend, mother, sister... all in one special woman.


I smile as I remember the words you said to me that day.  You were petting our Rottweiler, Fairchild, talking to him.  You looked up, said to me:  "Mama, if I die one day... I want to come back as yours, Skip's dog"!


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Could it be?  :)))  How do we ever know?  Kissy Fairchild Bates above... with his little-big perfect head, spoiled self..... :)))


Note:  You might get a smile out of this, we do now... thinking about it.  If it were possible, then... it's true.  If not, it's fun to talk about, remember.......... If Tommy were here, he'd get a kick out of this:


Our Kissy Fairchild Pup's birthday is 11-02-2010
Our Tommy's birthday was 11-20-1969... he died 2010, on May 29th.


I can 'see Tommy' grinning in my mind, his mouth moving.... did he say something?  Could it be that he is saying, 'I told you if I died one day... I wanted to come back as yours, Skip's dog'?


Why?  Because we love our Pups, care for them.  I was thinking that 'if I died one day'... I'd want to come back as something 'with arms'... I just 'feel'... that I'd like to keep my arms, hands... so, I can do things with them!  :)))

Oh, I'd like to have my legs, feet.... my head full of wonderful hair... don't forget, I want to have my eyes... I like to see with my eyes.... oh my, this list could go 'on and on'.... Oh!  I would want to be little again... not a little girl... but, a ...... size 9, once again!  Ha! Ha! Ha!

Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee... Remembering Tommy, my son.  Remembering other special people who passed through my life... into the other world... one we'd like to believe our loved ones, have gone to.