It has been a while since I have blogged. If you remember back in 2012 I told of my dear friend that had been diagnosed with cancer. For a while I had a donation widget on the sidebar as the medical bills grew...
Well, my dear friend passed from this life into the arms of Jesus on February 13, 2014. She was 39 yrs old. She left behind a husband of 20 years and 4 children.
When the cancer came back in January, she asked if we could come to be with her. So we moved into her basement. She did not want Hospice, she wanted family to care for her. It was sad, and beautiful and painful and rewarding. She taught me so much about living in those days before dying.
My kids are really good kids. They packed in a moments notice, traveled and left their home life for almost a month. They slept on air mattresses and pallets on the floor. They left their toys, games and favorite blankets.
They never complained!
James took on shoveling their drive and walkway, Jackson took on taking out the trash and sweeping. Jordan took on caring for the babies and became the preschool teacher for 3 little ones. Her children showed me where everything was and hung in their with me teaching their curriculum that I was not familiar with, changing the way they normally do school, gave up their playroom and shared their toys. All the kids accepted a new menu as cooking for 9 children in someone else's kitchen is a challenge.
And finally, all the children surrounded my dear friend with love, kisses, songs and prayers. Everyday that she could, she would have the kids come into her room and cuddle, talk and spend precious time with each one. She and her husband did a beautiful job of explaining what would happen and her children were wonderful ambassadors of grace and peace at one of the largest funerals that I have ever attended.
She had asked Joshua to sing at her funeral and that little boy went to the front of the church, got up on the stage in front of 400+ people and sang!
Beautiful, beautiful, Jesus is beautiful
and Jesus makes beautiful things of my life
Carefully, touching me, causing my eyes to see
and Jesus makes beautiful
Things of my life.
I know she was smiling.
So, I wanted to document this.
My heart aches with missing her. She was my very dearest friend, my sister, my cheerleader. I am proud to have known her.
