My mother called earlier today and is beside herself with anxiety and soon to be grief. Her sister, our beloved Aunt Dude (Julia Evelyn Francis) is transitioning into hospice care. She has been battling cancer for many years and now our final days with her are upon us. She is and has been a faithful Christian Woman of God and has said many times over the last few months that she is tired and ready to go to her heavenly home. We are never ready to let go of those we love, even our family members who have been so dedicated to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ through words, actions and deed but have endured many years of cancer related treatments, pain and discomfort.
Growing up, many a summer my sisters and I had some of our most memorable moments with her at her kitchen table, playing outside on their multiple acre homestead out in the country which included what we thought was the most awesome swing ever made from an old feed sack tied with a rope attached to a big tree near the porch, and I will never forget the "singings" at their church and sister churches and the yearly ones at the Oak Grove decoration over Memorial Day weekend. We wanted to see her immediately after crossing the Arkansas state line but visited with our grandparents in town first. In fact, my mom and dad would ALWAYS SAY “I’ll whip the first one of you kids that asks to go to Aunt Dude’s while we are visiting with your Grandma and Grandpa.” We did not understand that Mom wanted to visit with her Mom and Dad first. We just knew that Aunt Dude was a short 30 minutes away (which seems like an eternity once you are finally in the car again). Our cousins were actually our best friends when we were growing up. We could not afford to talk on the phone often but we sure wrote letters on a regular basis.
I learned to cook by watching her every move in the kitchen and even churned butter which was a real treat for this city girl. She made the best biscuits EVER and could whip out a meal for her brood and our family faster than most do now with all of the modern conveniences at our disposal. We could hardly wait to get to her house to shell peas or anything else from her garden that she “saved” especially for us. She always remembered how much I loved her canned pickles and would save me a jar. Even last September she gave me a jar along with some squash relish that also has no equal on any shelf anywhere.
Her sweet spirit, beautiful voice in song, unlimited words of wisdom and support, contagious laughter, her ability to tell a joke like no one else and her soft spoken heart-warming Arkansas drawl do not have a match here on earth. Her capacity for love and forgiveness seems limitless and she always had time for me and to talk with me.
Her reward in heaven will be greater than our grief but for now it is hard to accept or acknowledge the fact that her days here with us are at a minimum. Praise God for the life she lead and praying for the comfort that only God can provide to those of us who remain.
I am not sure when we will leave for Arkansas for a visit while Aunt Dude is still aware of her surroundings. She is naturally heavily mediated to help with the pain. My mom was crying so desperately and is not in a position to make any decisions at the moment. My mother is what one would call a worrier and her anxiety level is on overdrive, as one would imagine. I am equally concerned about my mom and her emotional well-being. She and Aunt Dude talk almost daily. My mom is 80 years and is also on the decline in a few areas. This loss will take its toll on her as does the recent news that her youngest brother has cancer with the treatment as yet undetermined.
Yes, this message is long but my heart is full and words keep spilling from my fingers.
