In less than a month I lost my two very best friends. Friends that I fear will be irreplaceable. Precious Husband of course is my true best friend but women tend to need that special bond that only comes from sharing with another woman.
I shared earlier about “Aunt Jo” the precious saint that shared our home for the last 8 months of her life. She was a second mother to me for over 36 years and I miss her dearly. In better times when she was still living at Sunshine Acres I knew that I could call her up when I had a need and she would always have a quick word of encouragement along with the promise that she would be praying for me.
Aunt Jo and I shared a love for butterflies. We agreed that butterflies reminded both of us of the verse in Corinthians that says old things have passed away and behold all things are new for the born again child of God. When the hospital bed was removed from her room and I once again made the guest room very fru-fru in design I could not resist using lots of butterflies in the mix. Many of the butterflies are mine but many of hers have been added and I smile when I go in and look around.
Aunt Jo passed away October 25 just days before her 98th birthday on Halloween. Two days later I received a call from MaryKay telling me her mother – my dear dear best friend Dolores was full of cancer and not expected to live. With my Precious Husband’s blessing I boarded the next plane to Lubbock, Texas that afternoon and had the awesome blessing of sitting with Dolores at her bedside all through the night. I flew back home in the morning because arrangements had to be made for Aunt Jo.
Dolores was 15 years my senior but we had the relationship of sisters. Because she was older she shared so much wisdom with me concerning being a wife and mother. Her godly example will forever be etched in my mind. We laughed together like little girls and we cried together like old ladies with lots of shared burdens. No one will ever know my heart like Dolores did.
When I arrived at her hospital bed the first thing she said was, “I knew you would come on the first plane when you got the call!” How glad I am that I could go and sit those precious few hours with my friend. Our visit was definitely more of a blessing to me that probably to her because that is just the way Dolores was. She ministered to my heart that night and shared of her great joy in the knowledge that she would soon be with her Lord and Savior and with that knowledge how could she not be at peace she said. She passed away about 3 weeks later.
Many years ago when Dolores moved to Texas she asked me if I would like some of her teacups. She didn’t know how I had just started into my Emilie Barnes teacup obsession and the timing of such a question was just special. Her cups were the beginning of a wonderful collection for me that graces the walls and shelves in my home. When she got to Texas she mailed me two metal blue speckled spoons that hang in my kitchen even now. She said she had 2 more and she wanted us to both have them and when she saw hers she would think of me. All these years since when I stand at my stove and see the blue spoons hanging on the wall there I think of my friend Dolores and now I miss her terribly. Beyond a doubt Dolores was a woman that loved the Lord and maybe more importantly was a woman that knew the Lord loved her.
There no doubt will be many more posts about Dolores because there is so much more I want to tell about her. Much more that needs to be told because by my telling you -- you too will be blessed I know!
Truly some people leave footprints on our heart and we are never the same.
