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Lavonne’s Diamonds of White Hair
By Barbara Jones

“From the first mile to the last, she finishes with a smile.
She always celebrates life and is joyful and kind.
She loves to help others who have needs, just like God.
Lavonne is truly caring, thoughtful, and forgiving.

She gives all she can with all her heart to relieve others’ pressures,
And yearns to see their smiles as they receive.
For ten years after her husband died, she herself had dire needs.
But Lavonne still thought of how to give—not always with money,
Sometimes with ideas, with a sparkle in her eyes!

She gets excited like a child to be invited to join in,
Celebrating and being present for a birthday party or shopping for everybody!
She laughs a lot, but is humble enough to take constructive criticism.
Lavonne leaves “diamonds of white hair”—some left, some missing.

She is one of four proud offspring of her daddy,
Russell Hale, and her mama, Bobbie Hale.
He lived through the Great Depression years,
And they both had many tales to tell.
He worked hard all his life, quit school in the second grade.
His daddy died when he was two, and he and his seven brothers
Had to pick cotton to help Mama—so they all quit school.
Lavonne took after our daddy, who worked himself to an early grave at 50.
Today, October eighteenth makes forty-five years since he died in 1980.

All Lavonne does is from her heart and she is so delighted to serve.
She always seems to “whip up” something special to give—never earned.
She gives her time, uses both hands and all her strength as she is able.
Lavonne, though having cancer, tries not to act disabled.

Her energy is “love and memories,” stored in her heart.
She tries and thrives, determined to give her life—
Squeeze it out to the last minute, all the time she has.
“Lavonne” is the middle name her mother gave her.
In another song about her online called Just Because,
I referred to her children as “cubs.” Ha! Ha!
Now her three lion cubs are the children God gave her, thanks to their daddy.

A lion is the king of the animals, who all the animals fear,
As he proudly walks for all to see and hear his mighty roars.
A mama lioness never fears for her cubs when daddy lion is near.
Lavonne, the mama lioness, now walks alone.
No one hears the lion’s roar because he has passed on, is no longer here…

She faced what came, stood in boldness, uttered a daring roar!
No fear, no devil from hell could stand against her Diamonds of White Hair.
Her cubs now grown, have cubs of their own.
Lavonne now has five great-cubs and prays and hopes to spend
Time and laughter proudly with them—at home or on the phone.

She is slowly losing her muscles beyond measure.
While chemo is draining her energy, she still holds and treasures
Each grown child and their kids in her heart—forever and happily ever after.
Debra Lavonne may be healed or called home—that is for God alone to decide.

Now as I lay down to sleep, I pray the Lord her soul to keep.
Let my sister dream of little angel cubs who play and wrestle and roar with delight
When they see their grandmother in her dream tonight.
God, hold my sister in your hands real tight
Until we meet again in Heaven’s light and reunite.
We’ll never be apart again or hurt or cry again,
As you hug us both like our daddy would.

We’ll have new names, new bodies too—
Never again be scared because we’re finally home with You!
But today I’m honoring and will always remember my sister Debra Lavonne with my song.

And God, you know I asked you to take the cancer, but leave my sister.
Now, as I close my eyes and pray, I see her shining like a star far away.
But I still feel her, God, in my heart today.
Her memory will never fade away.
Thank you for loaning her to me—
She’s with You now, and has been set free!

I hope You give me dreams of me and her playing and running,
And grinning happily to be together forever—
Singing and dancing, holding hands in Heaven.
And I can see a field of flowers blowing in Heaven’s wind. Amen…

P.S.
God, You know exactly how it felt to lose
Someone in death You loved so much.
You felt the hurt and pain when You gave
Up Your only Son to die for… Your love of the world.