Til We Meet Again 9/10/2020

Good Morning,

My cup of Door County Cherry Creme Coffee is working overtime this morning to warm me up. It is just a tad cold in the house and the small fire in the hearth as well as the coffee is just what I needed to start the day.

2 Corinthians 5:1  For we know that the tent that is our Earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in heaven.

Revelation 21:4  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying or pain anymore, for former things have passed away.

Back in 1960 my parents brought home an urchin wrapped in a blanket and told me I had a baby sister. I was three years old and really wasn't impressed. I was more concerned with turning the television on and watching my daily dosage of cartoons and the Three Stooges. They introduced her as Laurie Ann. She was very tiny and all I remember was that she cried a lot and life was never the same.  She stayed tiny for quite awhile and soon was nicknamed Bug by my dad and she was his "Bugaboo".  Once "Bug" learned to walk she was everywhere including walking through my plastic army men that I had spent hours on arranging them to do battle. She could wipe out a whole army with just baby shoes. She had a temper and if you had more sand in the sand box than her a quick whack in the head with a hammer solved that issue for her.  Only three stitches were needed to get me back into the game. Later, life brought us a brother many years apart from me, but Bug was the one who would help feed the newest urchin, dress him and play with him. She would always ask me about him when life had her miles and miles away from us. She seemed to delegate being the big sister to me.

Over the years, the two of us went through life, and sometimes life was not easy. High school years came around and I went in one direction and Bug went in a different direction. Her married life took her all over and she and her husband were stationed in different places because of his Coast Guard assignments.

But eventually they settled in Wausau Wisconsin and life was pretty normal like everyone else's. Then one day my phone rang and Bug asked me to pray for her. She was worried about something being drastically wrong with her health. Within days she was told that her health issue was pancreatic liver cancer. I knew right then and there that she was in a battle that was epic in size.

The process of chemo and radiation started. I thought at times that alone was going to kill her. But that little gal fought hard and soon it was announced that she was ready for surgery. The surgery was a major rearranging and removal of organs within her stomach. She stayed with us before the surgery and for a few days afterwards. It was horrible to see her mangled from the surgery. But once again the "Bug" made it and not all that long ago was given the word that she was doing great and was cancer free. That didn't last long and within weeks of being told that, the cancer came back with a vengeance, it was time for hospice.

My brother and I visited about ten days ago and we knew it wouldn't be long. That time frame turned out to be ten days. Bug passed away last night. Just a shell of what she once was. She fought right up to the end.

Here's the point.  She called me two months ago and we talked for about an hour. She told me her faith in Jesus had her ready to go home to heaven. She also said she did feel short changed because that clean bill of health was taken away so fast. But she was ready to go and would welcome being pain free in heaven and experiencing a great reunion. While visiting last week I told her that someday I will be joining that reunion and to watch for me. "I will be there" was her reply, "with my hammer". She waved to us from her window as we left for home.  That is the picture I will hold in my mind until we meet again.  And we will.

Marty