Tommy Dragonflies ...

Tommy Dragonflies ...

Here are photos of some new Tommy Dragonflies I'm making.  I make dragonflies, leave them somewhere in public for others to find.




This is how I remember my son, Tommy, who died May 29, 2010 on the beach in South Carolina ... Myrtle Beach.  He was running, playing with his little 3 year old son, collapsed.  No one knew he had 3 blockages to his heart.

Tommy and his family went to Myrtle Beach for a week vacation.  He barely made it safely to Myrtle Beach ... take his little son down to the beach to play with him.  That was what Tommy was looking forward to most ... he told me so, the evening before.  

He said, "Mama, I'm going to the beach and play with my little son for the first time at the ocean".  Tommy had the most happiest smile on his face.  The rest of the family began putting luggage on the portable luggage rack to take by elevator up to their room.  Tommy and Taban, his little son sneaked away!

Tommy and Taban ran, played ... people near by watched this big, gentle giant with a little boy squeal, laugh with his little son.  It made a beautiful picture.



Tommy was sending photos to me back in North Carolina to my computer.  I was home, happy and so thankful my son and his family had made their trip safely in the Memoria Day holiday traffic.



Tommy called me to say, "Mama, we are almost there.  Only seven miles to go"!  I remember taking a sigh of relief that they were safe.  I knew everything would be alright now.

 Not even an hour after Tommy's last call to me ... the phone rang again.  I looked on the caller ID ... Tommy!



Only when I answered, it wasn't Tommy.  I remember asking the man who was this on my son's cellphone. I didn't listen at first to him ... maybe my mind , ears heard what he said at first, I don't know.



When I listened, I heard him say, "Ma'am, I've got a man collapsed here on the sand .... he's not breathing"!  Help me, Skip, help me!



Skip hurried to take the phone, I remember seeing his eyes ... he was alarmed.  I look back at this moment ... that's when the light went out in my world.  The next several years, even to now ... the grief has been almost too much to bear.  Thankfully, time has gone by ... thankfully, I meant to be alright again.  I can't in any way describe the real condition I was in.  I can say horrible, but it in no way even begins to describe that horrible shock, pain, grief.

While I was in what I call the Dark World, I tried so hard to come out of it.  I thought about many things, I didn't think about many things.  How did I even have the sense to begin climbing toward the light.  You would know this more than me.  I wrote throughout this time ... I can't remember writing at all.



I know that writing saved my life ... it's where I went with my thoughts. You were there that whole time ... you are bound to have seen me trying so hard to be positive, to come out of my grief in a good way.  So many of you reached out to me.

Through time I've made it alone ... I only expressed my feelings, thoughts in my writing.  I never bothered anyone in my everyday life.  I am private that way ... also, I know that I couldn't ruin someone's happiness with my grief, unhappiness.  I stayed completely away from people.  

I tried to spare Skip with all I went through.  We are very close ... and we think so much alike that we just go ahead, finish each other's sentences.  I know he knew a lot that was going on inside me ... I didn't have to say a word.

Dragonflies are something Tommy liked.  Dragonflies became most special in my life.  You wouldn't believe the strange, special things we see dragonflies do.  Tommy!  A sign from Tommy?

Dragonflies became my way of remembering Tommy to make sure he's never forgotten.  I make them out of thin, gold wire ... beads.  

I leave them in shopping baskets, counter tops at stores, bathrooms ... anywhere.  You might see one on a bench, chair at a public place.  I leave them with a short note ... remembering Tommy, and my prayer when someone finds my Tommy Dragonfly ... that it brings a smile to their face to find a special treasure ... happiness in their heart.  No strings attached.

I came up with the idea to join my gold dragonflies to the gold-woven wire bracelets I like to make.  Now ... I am making Tommy Dragonfly bracelets.  I am going to try my hand selling the bracelets at the State Fairgrounds next Spring.  I will sell them at a low price so, everyone might want one.  

I won't sell the individual dragonflies I make ... I will always leave them where others can find them in public places.  I will sell only the bracelets.  

This is an update on the Tommy Dragonflies I make.  So much love goes into everyone of them ... I am thinking of my son, Tommy.

Note by this Author:



All photos of my dragonflies, dragonfly bracelets are owned by me.
Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee/@GeeGranny on Twitter.









#Dragonflies  #Tommy Dragonflies by Gloria #Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee