He Giveth ... and He Taketh Away

The last little bit has been a very trying time - oh, no ... the girls are great (yesterday was such a sweet day of fun with both girls in happy, laughing moods!!!) and all is fine and dandy here in B Land. However, last weekend my Sweet Aunt Helen passed away - she was my Mom's Dad's sister and the last of that generation on that side of the family. She was such a wonderful woman and I learned alot from her, not just about our family (she was a WEALTH of information in that area) but about life. She had just a kind and generous and content soul and I loved her so. Then, late last week my uncle Ed passed away - he was my Daddy's sister's husband. When I was in high school and right after he and Aunt Phyllis had an RV and they used to travel across the good ol' USofA a couple of times a year and that is when I got to really know them. He, as well, was a wonderful man. He had a fun sense of humor and was a gentle man with a kind heart. Both of them had been "ailing" for a while so neither was really out of the blue, but are we really ever prepared?
Also last week I learned that my sweet friend Amanda's grandpa was quite ill - he and my grandma (who passed away in November) had taken turns being in the hospital for the last year or so and he was back in there. Yesterday morning her hubby Darcy told me that he had suffered a major stroke and they were headed out to be there after church. I spoke with Amanda this morning and learned that he had passed away.
However, yesterday they had been able to share a sweet time with him as a family ... as she told the story I was reminded of the bittersweet time of goodbyes spent with my sweet Paula...



She had been fighting cancer for a while and had developed Valley Fever. She was put on a ventilator and never awoke. A choice had to be made when it was learned that she would most likely be spending the rest of her life on some sort of life support and, because the valley fever had moved into her brain, would not be herself. We took her off of all the machines and held her and sang to her while she went on to Heaven. It was so beautiful. Her favorite song was The Wonderful Cross: and as we sang it she began to fade. We came to the part that says "The wonderful cross, bids me come and die and find that I may truly live" and that is when she went on to her true home. I was holding her beautiful head in my arms and felt her last breath on my face as she left this world. It was THE hardest thing that I have EVER been through and also is one of the most treasured memories of my life. She was my very best friend and I miss her every single day of this life and am in constant anticipation of the day when I will leave this life for the eternal reward of being with Jesus ... and, now, of being with Paula, Grandma, Aunt Helen, Uncle Ed and Amanda's sweet Grandpa - I can't wait to meet him!!!!!