Quick Posting

So sorry.  I completely forgot to post this morning!  First of all, I was making some cards, like a Fathers Day card for Eric for one. 

Second, I went to church to sing at a funeral.

Third, we went to Cleveland to see my sister at the hospital.

So --- is that enough of an excuse?

My sister looks really tired and sad.  My niece said she looks a ton better than she did on Thursday or Friday, so I guess I was spared that.  My sister's biggest problem is her breathing, the result of COPD.  They did a chest CT scan right when we were leaving to see if there was something besides the COPD.  Barring that, then her COPD has worsened considerably over the past six months.

If you know anyone who smokes, please tell them to quit.  Chantex works pretty well if you can just continue to resist having "just one."  My husband used it and it did work, mitigating some of the types of withdrawal that usually goes along with quitting.  And it is not a nicotine product.  My sister quit with patches three years ago.  She quit because she got scared with shortness of breath, and this was a real indication that her lungs were damaged even at that point.

Her hip barely bothers her after the surgery.  She has almost no pain at all.  She was alert, had done her "Jumbles" in the newspaper, and read the card I made for her with no problem.  But she has a long, long way to go.

My sister's children -- there are four of them -- don't always get along so well.  This is usually somewhat of a problem at the holidays, but in this instance nerves are starting to get the better of a couple of them already.  Before long someone will say something they shouldn't, and then the whole thing will get going again.  I'm going to try to remain neutral and do the best that I can for everyone, but it's tough.

We all realize that for everything there is a season.  There is a time to be born and a time to die.  It's just that we want our loved ones to stay around for a good, long while.  I have to come to grips with the fact that my sister is in God's hands and a day will come when she goes on.

Do you want to know the best news of all?  She received Communion today!  I was ecstatic, could barely control myself.  She was happy too, I could tell.  And she knows that she'll receive more visits from the priest and more Communion hosts whether she remains there for a couple more days or whether she goes on to her rehab facility.

On another subject, the funeral this morning went pretty well.  The lady was only 62 years old.  We sang the typical hymns for a funeral service, all 11 of us, and offered our best for this family who is grieving.  Father Kevin's funeral touched upon something that he usually mentions but that resonated for me today.

When someone dies, they are not gone from us.  Yes, in the physical sense they are, but we remain connected to them.  He said we should talk to them as though they were still here and ask for their prayers and help.  He said we should continue to pray for the deceased too. 

Father said that the lady who died was a wonderful person.  She was very funny apparently, and laughed a lot.  She was caring, often inviting near strangers over for dinner.  She gave back to her church in a number of significant ways.  It is always an honor and a privilege to sing at a funeral, to do what we can do to ease the suffering of the loved ones remaining.

Well, that's it for today and tomorrow and Monday.  See you Tuesday morning!

Karen