Goodbyes

I hate saying goodbyes.  I think everyone does.  But the goodbyes are even worse when its the absolute last time you'll ever ever be able to say goodbye.

It turns out that this was one of those last times for me to say my goodbye to my Aunt June.

On September 19th, around 3:30 a.m., my lovely Aunt June went home to be with Jesus.  It was a sad day,  It was a happy day.

Aunt June had had her bladder removed due to bladder cancer.  She then went through a lot that she was on the road to recovery from, but a few weeks back, she started taking a turn for the worse and ended up in the hospital for pretty much the last days of her life.  She passed away in a supposedly wonderful hospice care facility with 3 of her 4 daughters around her and the 4th with her in heart and spirit.  She was at peace when she passed and she was ready to go and had let all her girls know that she was wanting to go.

There is so much that I'll miss about Aunt June - I'll miss her little laugh, I'll miss her ear that was always ready to listen,  I'll miss her silly side and the way she would ask you questions about your life, but not too probing, just enough to get you talking and then she'd just listen.  She always had this way of just making you want to talk, even if you weren't a talker-about-your-lifer....  You just somehow wanted to tell her stuff and she just listened and somehow things just seemed right and better.  She was a gentle sweet woman (most of the time - until she had a point to be spunky :)) and she really really just loved God and wanted to know more about Him.  She was one of those people who would learn more about God and just become a more loving, gentle person because of it.  Thats true growth and she was the best example of that!

Thanks for all the laughs, the trips, the shared rooms, the dinners/lunches/breakfasts out, shopping, advice -- thanks for being the most fun and loving aunt ever!  I know you're better off, but you'll still be missed!