This past week a wonderful, kind and precious woman left this earth and graced the welcoming gates of heaven.

My Aunt Helen was a woman who, though slight in build, was strong in spirit.  She was a go and do kind of person.  I rarely saw her sitting because she was always in the kitchen making some delicious food for us or checking to make sure we were as comfortable as possible.  Her hospitality was unmatched.  Aunt Helen was a great cook and I always devoured her seven layer salad and eclair dessert, two of my favorites from her.  That eclair dessert must have won some awards somewhere.  So delicious!  I could have eaten the entire dish of eclairs in one sitting.  She made a point to make it for me when I came to visit.

My Aunt was so generous and kind with a gentle spirit.  I never saw her angry although my cousins, her sons, say they’ve seen it.  (Don’t tell her sons, but I don’t believe them.)  She was always so kind to me from childhood to adulthood and to see her with my children, just amazing.  We went to visit Aunt Helen a few years back and she took us all around her town visiting the restaurant responsible for making the first waffle cone (yum!) and we visited a great local kids’ museum.  We took the best picture of my Mom and Aunt Helen at that museum.  The two of them were sitting in one of those giant chairs looking like kids again with the biggest smiles on their beautiful faces. Cutest sister picture ever.  It was just after this wonderful visit when my Aunt began the battle for her life.

The last years of my Aunt’s life were not easy but she refused to give up or give in.   Steadfast in her determination, she cared for my uncle as he fought an unyielding battle with Parkinson’s, one of the most unforgiving diseases.  As the Parkinson’s progressed, my Uncle eventually was too unstable to walk on his own.  The physical strength I witnessed from my Aunt was astounding!  She reached super hero status in my eyes when I saw her caring for Uncle Allen.  Her 105 pound frame would pick up and move my 200 pound Uncle like it was nothing, shifting him from wheel chair to car, getting him to the table to eat and moving him around for other daily activities.  She continued to care for him in their home and gave him the most loving supportive care, the best care he could ever receive.  I remember how Aunt Helen always had ice cream and brownies for Uncle Allen, even when they were out of town, because he enjoyed eating ice cream and brownies for his bedtime snack.  She was so sweet and did everything she could to keep Uncle Allen happy and comfortable while he was still with us on Earth.

Two and a half years ago Aunt Helen faced her biggest life challenge yet.  She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  Ovarian cancer by itself is one of the cancers that is hard to detect and once found has a low survival rate.  They didn’t find the cancer for my Aunt until it was already stage 4.  Right from the very beginning she received terrible news but she fought the cancer with everything she had.   Even though she was battling this life altering disease, she never lost sight of what is important.  She continued to serve in her church and serve others.  On more than one occasion my mom told me about Aunt Helen cooking for someone or taking her friend to lunch because they were having a bad day.   She didn’t want to let the cancer dictate what she could and couldn’t do.  She fought hard and even while she received news from the doctors that was not positive, she never gave up.  She wanted to fight it.  In the end, the cancer took her life and she went to be with the Lord this past week.

I want to take this moment to say, “I love you, Aunt Helen”.  I hope I said those words to you enough for you to understand how much you mean to me.  You led an amazing, inspiring life for me and those around you.  We sang a song in church yesterday with these words “I’m running to your arms”.  I imagined you running into the arms of God, into the arms of Jesus.  You were running, not in pain anymore, no more sickness, your body restored.  I know you have graced the Most Wonderful Gates and Heaven is now rejoicing because you are there.