Farewell

Project 365 - October 30

My dear friend Rita lost her battle with cancer while we were gone.

I had been watching her lose ground nearly every day for a while, and I knew I would not be seeing her again in this life when I said good-bye for the last time the day before we left on our trip.

The joyful thing is I know I will see her again. It is a bittersweet thing when a Christian dies...but it's mostly sweet. Because it's not really good-bye, it's more like be-seeing-you.

When Jed and I were visiting Rita back in the Spring, he noticed that her little lighted village was gone from the hutch in her dining room and asked about it. Rita told him it was a winter decoration and she had put it away. She then asked him if he liked it and when he said yes, she told him he could have it some day.

Rita's sister Doris set the village aside for us before she headed back home to Florida after the funeral. Our friend Lois gave us the boxed up village the day we met up to go to the graveside together. I was so happy for Jed to have it, and I got it all set up as soon as we got home on the cedar chest upstairs in the loft.

However, I didn't realize how much it would mean to me.

I found myself discontent with it being upstairs, since I'm not up there much. After a few days I moved it downstairs to a little table in the livingroom.

I can't tell you the joy it has given me to be able to see something every day that was Rita's.

My grandmother used to set out a little village scene every year at Christmas and it was magical to me. I hope Rita's village will be the same for Jed when he reflects back on his childhood, and I hope it will help him remember her. At least till he sees her again. :)