Life deserves to be celebrated.
I believe that, and because I believe it, I go to nursing homes.
Since I was 16, I've been making elderly friends who are very often lonely and no longer live in the place they call home.
During the past 9 years, I've made a lot of top-notch friends and have been able to celebrate a lot of life.
I've also had to say goodbye to a few of those friends as they leave this life for a brand new one.
I had to say such a goodbye this week.
Her name was Ella and she was a gemstone.
I'd been visiting her for about 7 years and got to learn from her beauty during those 7 years.
She was an artist and one entire wall of her room was covered in her artwork. She liked thrifting, and loved hearing about my latest thrift finds. She had a great sense of humor and delighted in teasing me. Once she asked me to bring her chicken liver from a nearby gas station, and she ate it like it was lobster.
Best of all, she was a servant of Jesus, and is now with the One she loves.
I'm glad I was able to know Ella for the last
7 years of her life.
I'm also glad that Rheumatoid Arthritis, hospital beds, and loneliness are nowhere near her now.