Ode to a Blessed Woman

When I first moved to Alabama I lived with Lucy. Lucy was a year older than me...she was the sister of my Aunt Milly...and the sweetest person in the world. Everyone loved her....Lucy and I lived together, married a year apart...I married her brother...making her my sister-in-law...but I felt she was more my sister-by-choice. Our friendship blossomed as we grew older...and we ended up going to college together. Then one day...I was not married to her brother anymore...by my choice...and things changed. In Sept of 2008 I was told that Lucy had cancer...and it was bad. What is it with this cancer thing? Why does it keep killing my close people? Anyways...I had not seen Lucy in a long time...but felt I needed to let her know that not a day went by that I did not think of her....so there I was...trying to write her a letter....pouring out my soul...or trying to. What was really happening was that I found myself sitting at my computer stumbling over the right words to say…and there just were none. Where had all the time gone. It seemed like just yesterday when Lucy and I were living in the trailer next door to Trollis and Millie and doing things young single girls do. I have some great memories of that time. I am so glad we had that time together. Then we moved on to marriages and children and school and teaching….LOL…I found some pictures of South Hill Virginia(the vacation that wasn't spot) the other day and had to laugh....but that is a story for another day...it will make you laugh out loud I promise. We were so young and stupid then….God truly does take care of the young ones….because he was definitely with us during that trip. We both finished college….got teaching jobs…and life was good…..things happen in life and sometimes people get lost in the aftermath. Lucy married again, had Patrick, moved to Clay County and began a life up there. We both moved on in a sense….we were running parallel to each other….and occasionally our paths crossed….Christmas, Thanksgiving, other family get-togethers…then things changed again and I began a journey down a much different road. I missed the connection with my old family….but it was for my sanity that it had to be. I hated that somewhere during this upheavel I lost my old friend. Lucy had always been my friend first and foremost….before anything else...and had always been a dear, sweet person. Two years ago, I began mirroring our old lives together when Frank accepted God’s call and became the pastor of Waverly United Methodist Church. I used to wonder….when it was Lucy as the pastor’s wife…how on earth she did it. I found myself learning first hand. I have loved every moment of being a preacher's wife. Life has been a struggle for me during the last year...struggling with my dad and the big C...and then I received news that my dear friend was sick. It broke my heart. Not Lucy….I just could not believe it! I bowed my head instantly and began to pray that God would heal her….then I got a feeling ….that God needed to heal me….that we needed to connect again….and hug. I called a couple of times, left a message once, and felt as if she did not want to see me. I found out later...that was not the case...she was just very sick. Lucy is, was, and will forever be my dear friend in my heart, in my prayers, and in my thoughts each day. I saw her again not long ago. She was not hurting anymore...and at peace. Her family and I will miss her dearly....she left a big impact on people. The world is a little more dreary without her in it...but I like knowing she is looking out after us all. I see things that remind me of her....and I smile. She lived a full life...and I am glad that for a brief and shining moment...I was part of that life. I will never be the same.

I love you Lucy,