Go With God, Jeanne

Last week, at our all school Mass, Deacon Mike told the student body that Fr. Tim had been to visit Jeanne (see this post) earlier in the week.  As Father was leaving, he was saying his good-byes just in case she'd be gone before he got back the next day.  She assured him that she'd still be there.  She intended to die on her 75th birthday (Sunday).  3:00 Sunday morning she went Home.  Her funeral was today and most of the school attended.  The 3rd-8th graders were taken over as a group (only a few parents opted to have their students stay in the school - they acted as helpers to the K-2 teachers).  I was invited to sing in the choir, which I decided to do as a gift to Jeanne.  It was hard, though...I felt like I couldn't allow myself to cry since then I wouldn't be able to sing if I did.  In addition, I was sitting with strangers instead of my school family.  Somehow, I had thought that the hardest part of this was over...she'd stopped playing for us after Christmas, I'd said good-bye, her death on Sunday...but today was hard.  She was my friend and my cheerleader.  I'm not even doing very well at getting through this post without tears...

I'm sure I'll come back at a later date to finish this, but for right now, good-bye, Jeanne, go with God.  I'll miss you.

Amazing

I work with this amazing lady named Jeanne.  She accompanies my school church choir and plays for our concerts.  Last Lent, she was diagnosed with cancer.  She allowed Father to perform the Sacrament of Healing (Anointing of the Sick) for her during a school Mass despite her concern about how it might affect the kids' faith if she died of her cancer.  She took about six weeks off after surgery but continued to play for us through her chemo.  On her first day back, the student body all wore yellow shirts (the color associated with cancer research) in her honor.  Shortly after that, she gave a reflection on her faith experience with cancer.  She brought a stuffed frog and told the students that it reminded her that she must Fully Rely On God.  She was given a clean bill of health in June.  Then, just before Thanksgiving, she pulled me aside after our school's Thanksgiving Mass to tell me that her cancer was back and this time it was deemed terminal.  The doctors are giving her months.  Today at Mass, she and Father broke the news to the student body and Father gave her the Anointing of the Sick again.  She pulled out her frog and told the kids that she had an amazing summer that she wouldn't have had without their prayers, but "you can't pray someone alive forever, you know."  She told them she was a bit apprehensive because she didn't know exactly how it would go, but she trusted that it would be wonderful and that she was truly looking forward to heaven.  I was, fortunately, not the only one crying.  She is one amazing lady and I can only pray that when it is my time to die, I can show as much courage and teach as many kids about faith as she is doing now.  Please pray for us all.