Purple Cosmos . . . Thank you!

CLICK on this one if you want to see more detail.

Some may wonder why I did not center this flower. . . at times, there is another flower close by and you can't do anything about it but to move in the other direction. This works for me. I could crop it in a photo editing program but I choose to leave as is because I also make cards and maybe someday, I will want to put writing next to it like this:

Goodbye, Mary . . . Blog Your Blessings Sunday

If you care to join us acknowledging our blessings go here: Blue Panther

Maybe not all my readers know but I am a senior citizen, a young one but one all the same. A little over a year ago I moved to this apartment building complex for seniors. Eight months ago, I met Mary. She was walking the halls, investigating community rooms on the 9th floor where we have a kitchen for potlucks, a dining hall for coffee hours and special events (usually involving food), a game room, a computer room, 2 cable TV rooms and the laundry room. You notice that I mentioned the most important place first? But, I digress. . .

It was a Thursday night. I had never seen her before but I decided to introduce myself and see if she was new or just someone I hadn't met yet . . . after all, I had only been here a few months. I don't often do this as I am a shy person. She was new that very day and her grand daughter who was 9 years old was with her, staying the weekend. We visited a little while and then I told her I would drop by and pick her (and grand daughter) up for BINGO the following night. Thus began a new, close friendship neither of us had thought we would be making at this time in our lives.

I showed her how to use the bus and we went to the Farmer's Market even tho it rained that first Saturday. She continued coming to BINGO on Friday nights even when her grand daughter wasn't visiting. We sat together and learned about each others lives like good friends do. She even showed up for a couple potlucks.

Then one day she didn't come to the Mother's Day potluck and I took her a plate of food and stayed for a visit. That's when she told me about her doctor appointment. Before I knew her, she had had breast cancer and had one removed. She told me they never told her to come back for further checkups and when you get older, sometimes you don't care to bother anymore BUT her daughter insisted she get a clean bill of health since she was living on her own again so she made her a doctor appointment.

It had not been good news. The cancer had spread and they gave her 'til Christmas to live, saying it was too late for her. What kind of cancer doctor doesn't have their receptionist call and tell her to make another appointment just to make sure everything was okay after the breast surgery? According to Mary, this one didn't and she thought that was the end of it. Actually, I think she wanted to believe it and ignored the appointments she should have made to not allow cancer to spread again.

I went to her apartment to visit and she came to see my Christmas tree in July . . . YES! I keep it up all year. I even turned the lights on for her and her granddaughter.

She got sicker and sicker and allowed hospice to visit her but would not go to a hospice hospital. She wanted to die in her own place when the time came. All her family knew the situation, including the youngest grand daughter. She had a medic alert button she could push if she needed hospice at a time when they weren't visiting her.

I stopped by often to visit and made a special card for her but anytime I was the least bit sick, I stayed away because I didn't want her to catch anything I might be spreading around. The last couple times I rang her doorbell she didn't answer. OK, so her family came and got her and were off visiting I told myself . . . or . . . Maybe she didn't feel good enough for visitors. . .

This past week, I hadn't been feeling good so I didn't stop by. I didn't want her to catch whatever crud was going around and shorten her time we had together on earth! Sunday afternoon, I got really sick and spent the entire time in bed. That afternoon AND Monday AND Tuesday. This was my JURY duty week. I lucked out and my number hadn't been called for Monday and Tuesday. Then, on Wednesday, I had to report. . .

That was today and I was the last juror chosen. We met until 5:30 and when I got home there was a note in the elevator that Mary had died on Monday! I couldn't believe it. It was some other Mary, not my friend, Mary. . . it couldn't be! I wanted to make her some more cards. I wanted to stop by and chat again. I wanted to share the joy in our friendship again. After all, the doctor had told her she would live until Christmas! I had MY plans. . . How dare God allow this to happen????????

I thought of other people with cancer. My twin had lived 12 years after her diagnosis. A lady at church was still going good after 5 years. I was really mad at God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I went downstairs to look at the directory and see if I had the right number for her as was posted on the notice. It did. It was truly "my" Mary who had died Monday. Then, while I was in the mailroom talking to someone about this, Mary's daughter and one son came through the front door and went up in the elevator to clear out Mary's apartment. I had met them before so I hurried on the next elevator and knocked on "Mary's" door. . . Her son opened the door and just gave me a hug and daughter came to door and spoke to me too. I guess when I was sick Monday, they had knocked on my apartment door but I was so sick, I didn't get out of bed to see who was there.

Tears were streaming down my eyes. They told me her whole family was with her when she passed on and that she would be cremated like her husband, whose ashes Mary had in her apartment, and one day their whole family will take a trip to the Pacific Ocean and spread both their ashes there where they wanted to be together. I knew that was Mary's last wish so I am glad they will fulfill it. Tears were running down my face but when I left, after asking if I could help do anything, I felt at peace. . . a little lonely but at peace because I can just see Mary in heaven with her new body, cancer free! I'm sure my twin met her at the gate. . . I hope she will be there to meet me. I'm not mad at God anymore. . .

I thank Him for the blessing of Mary's friendship even tho it was so short. She touched my life and I hope I touched hers. I'm glad she didn't have to suffer any longer. I'm glad my twin, Margie, got to meet her too! If you read this far, bless you. MY INTERNET FRIENDS. Mary, and you are my blessing this week. This is just for you from Mary's memory and I. . .


There is beauty in the death of a weed because there is promise of a new one in the spring. Just like Mary with her new body now. . .