Helen Flint Barber Tribute

Two years ago our lives we’re turned upside down with the passing of our Barber family matriarch, Grandma Helen Flint Barber.  The day started with an early morning phone call from my Mom telling us to get to the Hospital, for it might be the last time we see our beloved Grandmother. This wasn’t our first fire drill, so we brushed off the urgency as we moseyed our way up to the hospital. This time it wasn’t another drill, it was the real deal. Luckily we arrived in enough time to see her, but she had passed just minutes before.

Walking into her hospital room was something I’ll never forgot because the sprit we felt was so strong. It was then we (and I’m sure everyone else) knew that Grandma was now in a better place and we shouldn’t be sad for her going, but happy for having known her. Lucky enough to have been in her wake for so many years – leading us, guiding us, helping us to know right from wrong, and what’s important in life is our faith and our family – we firmly believe that families are forever.

We know we’ll see Grandma Barber again. But until that day, we need to honor her by being good stewards of her legacy. She’d often joke with me when I was dating Dustin and tell me, “Emily, don’t screw this up”. That was her way of telling me I needed to look past Dustin’s shortcomings and marry the guy. Well you know the story from there, but if I could speak to Grandma Barber today, I’d tell her I’m not going to screw this up. I’m going to do everything I can to honor all that you have taught me. Because in the end, family is all we’ve got.