Following the death of her mother, ten-year-old Marissa’s life changes forever. School goes from a place of learning to a place of terror, where everyone stares at her. Her friends don’t understand, and she loses interest in even her favorite things. It is all because of loss—a loss no child should have to experience: the loss of her mother, her best friend, and her staunchest supporter.
Mrs. Chancey, a kindly neighborhood woman, takes Marissa under her wing. For the first time in weeks, Marissa finds peace in Mrs. Chancey’s backyard garden. Soon, Marissa opens up to her neighbor and shares her feelings of anger, guilt, and emptiness. Mrs. Chancey can relate. She too lost loved ones, many years ago, and Marissa begins to realize they have more in common than just a love for flowers.
One day, Mrs. Chancey shows Marissa the most important plants in her garden—plants specifically grown to aid the lives of butterflies. She goes on to talk about a man named Jesus and how he gives her peace, because Mrs. Chancey knows she will see her lost loved ones in Heaven. Like a caterpillar turned into a beautiful butterfly, Christ was resurrected to cleanse our sins, and as Marissa discovers, He can cleanse her pain, too.
The following weeks proved to be exactly what her dad said they would be. There were doctors' appointments several times a week and medical treatments every day. When her mom got home from these visits, she slept most of the day. Marissa helped by doing chores her mom usually had finished before she got home from school. She felt that her mom needed to sleep, and would get better sooner if Marissa did what needed to be done.
Before doing the chores, Marissa would run into her mom's room and tell her everything that had happened that day. Sometimes her mom would fall asleep while Marissa was talking but Marissa would continue until she had told her everything. She was very close to her mom; she missed her mom being involved in her daily routine, she missed her mom waiting for her when she came home from school.
One day Marissa approached her home she had a feeling something was different. There were several cars in the driveway. When she walked through the front door, she found several people in her house. Grandma and Grandpa Walker, and Grandma and Grandpa Hudgins. Also present were her aunts and uncles, and even a few close friends.
A hospital bed had been set up in the living room. Marissa noticed bags hanging on a pole beside the bed. Frightened by what she saw she hurried to her dad to ask him what was happening. He said they were putting medicine into her mother. He explained she no longer needed any treatments and this medicine would make her more comfortable. It was then Marissa knew her mom was getting worse not better,
Lynn S. Combes was born in Queens, New York. She married her husband and they moved to Florida to raise a family, where they have lived for thirty years. They have raised three children together. Their first daughter was called home to be with the Lord at the age of five. The death of her daughter prompted Lynn to become educated in the grieving process. Her desire to help others deal with grief motivated Lynn to work in a local Hospice organization where she developed and oversaw bereavement programs. She later went on to complete her Masters Degree in elementary education, specializing in Childhood Learning Disabilities. Her expertise in the grieving process has given Lynn numerous opportunities to speak to groups and individuals. This testimony along with her love and devotion to God, forms the basis of her writings.