Beautiful Reflections About Barbara Johnston

Davidson has lost a true gem and my heart is sad. Barbara Johnston passed peacefully yesterday.

 

I met her 43 years ago when fate landed our family in the house right across the street from her. She had no daughters and I latched on to her as quickly as she latched onto me. We made an annual affair of dying Easter eggs for more years than I can count. I recall being VERY pregnant dying eggs and even taking Justin when he was a baby. Then he got old enough to throw them. That ended the decades long habit.

 

 

When mom and dad split she asked mom if she could do anything to help us. Mom asked her if she could keep her eye on me and help out since mom was now a single mom finding herself at work full time for the first time in a long time. Barbara promised her she would, and she did… until the very end.

 

Barbara lent her spare bedroom to me and fed me when mom started traveling so much. She came to my junior high promotion, helped me get ready for my senior prom, came to my high school graduation, hosted bridal showers and went with me to take my bridal pictures. She sat right behind mom at our wedding.

 

When I got pregnant she hosted baby showers and was one of the first to hold my babies. She was right there for the hard times of loving a confused teen going through divorce up until the excitement of watching my kids grow up.

 

She moved into a nursing home last summer and I began visiting her every Tuesday afternoon. I only came on Tuesdays because it made it easier for her to keep up with instead of wondering when I was coming. Those were some of the most joyful hours of my week every week. We laughed until we cried most weeks. She remembered everything, I mean everything and she also knew everything about everything Davidson and anyone who ever lived there!

 

She was well traveled and loved sharing tales of her favorite places. She had a way with words, always unfiltered and always true. It was refreshing and sometimes breathtaking. But it was classic Barbara, always. Barbara was sad to miss our Tuesday visits this summer. She was actually one of the reasons I almost passed on the job but she loved my new found love of anything creative so we spoke on the phone some and when I was home she didn’t mind me coming on an off day.

 

Barbara was mostly blind but loved the smell and visual of flowers. I told her I would make her a vase. She asked for yellow. I made her a beautiful yellow vase and used a flower 3D pattern on the outside. She took it in her hands and rubbed it all over. She took my hand in her hand and rubbed the sides.

 

I’ll never forget seeing my hand under hers feeling the details I had crafted into the sides. A special moment and somehow I knew the end was coming and I was careful to hold the memory tucked deeply so I would never forget it. We knew Barbara was growing weaker and her body was wearing out.

 

A couple weeks ago I was alone with her. We had the precious time to thank each other for all that we had been to each other. She indeed took care of me until her very last breath.