My Aunt Cloia..She's Free

My Aunt Cloia passed away this weekend. She was 84 - a serious woman of God and a faithful Reverand at her church. I wrote her obituary last night. I must admit I was procrasting, but my mom put the pressure on my last night because the church needs the verbiage to put in the program.

She had a great life up until after her husband passed away in 2002, a little while later she was diagnosed with Alzheimers and things went downhill over a number of years. The last 3 years she has been in a nursing home, she couldn't take care of herself and eventually she was unable to communicate.

It has been extremely hard on my family - my mom and aunt are her legal guardians and responsible for ensuring her care. She lived in the house with them for less then a year before she went into the nursing home. That was probably one of the toughest years in my family. Living with a person with Alzheimers is very stressful and draining. But they loved her and allowed her to stay in the house until it wasn't safe anymore.

Anyway so I am writing all of this because although I felt really strange about it, this weekend (after we found out she had the flu) I asked God to take her. Her life would be so MUCH better in heaven then here on earth - she was just existing. Anyway that night my mom called me and told me she had passed...I didn't really know how to feel - sad. relieved. guilty.happy for her..

Anyway my aunt sent me this poem that I am going to read this weekend at her funeral ( I hope I can make it through the whole thing without falling apart..I am working on that now). It is so relevant.

My family is into more traditional funerals, so it won't be a celebration service like we have at lwfc and some of my family is pretty dramatic - so I don't know what to expect.

Anyway its called "I'm Free"

I’m Free

Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free,
I’m following the path God laid for me;
I took His hand when I heard Him call
I turned my back and left it all.

I could not stay another day
To laugh, to love, to work, or play;
Tasks left undone must stay that way.
I found that place at the close of day.

If my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembering joy,
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,
Ah, yes, these things I too will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow;
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life’s been full, I’ve savored much,
Good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief,
Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your heart, and share with me.
God wanted me now - He set me free.

Love ya Aunt Cloia!