Kathy

Monday afternoon (June 22, 2009) my sister took her last breath on this earth. Suddenly it was like the oxygen was sucked right out of the room, my own lungs could hardly fill themselves and my heart fell to the floor. There were no tears left to cry. I had sat next to her since I arrived, holding her hand and stroking her arm while whispering “in a little while you will finally be completely healed, we’ll be together again soon” weeping; and then she was gone.

She was so tired near the end, and she often told visitors this. Her breathing grew labored with long pauses between breaths. I saw her haggard face and knew it would soon be over. My prayers were no longer for healing but for a quick and easy release; and it was. I feel so alone.

It was a beautiful afternoon with sunshine flooding the room, as if God was saying “I am here with you to comfort you and ease the pain of separation”. She was my mother’s oldest child; I am now my mother’s only child. She is with my father and all who’ve gone on before us. I smiled as I imagined Grandma with open arms proclaiming this new arrival to be her “little angel”, her nickname for Kathy. I could see Grandma embracing my big sister as they stood near the gates of Heaven. What a warm feeling I received as I thought about her new home, I miss her everyday and always will until we meet again.