Stories We Tell: Jeannie Puckett
(Installment 13 of 14)
Collected and arranged by
Amy Uptgraft
Edited by
Audra Edwards
Note from Amy:
Jeannie went into remission with her own breast cancer only for her and Ralph to learn, soon after, that their daughter, Jean, had also been diagnosed with the same disease. As daughter Jean fought her cancer, their son, Thomas, was diagnosed with leukemia during this same time. Jeannie and Ralph had two of their three children fighting cancer. Thomas came through, healthy again. Jeannie passed away in 2004, leaving behind a husband and two children. Ralph and Jeannie miss her every day.
A Poem by Jeannie Puckett
This grief lodges itself in my chest.
Like a glacial block of ice,
It freezes the joy of life, halting the simple pleasures.
It numbs the mind, leaving me
Unaware of surroundings.
And then, a memory of her
Comes floating across my mind:
Her childhood, her smile, her giggle.
It sweeps over the ice and
Steals the tears from this immovable block.
The release of tears seems to bring her close
So that she comforts me and assures me all is well.
She is well and I will someday be well.
Jean Martin Puckett
2005
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