My aunt Sophie passed away yesterday morning. I really loved her. At 3 a.m. I awoke and prayed for her. She went to be with the LORD at 2: a.m. I really didn't know how to pray or what to pray for specifically. She was 93 years old and ready to die. She was suffering and weary, ready to go home to the LORD. What do you pray for? I prayed for her to be comforted. I prayed for her family, including myself. I prayed for God's grace and mercy. She's now in heaven I believe with my mother, grandmother, grandfather, her husband, and many other beloved people. I wanted to write her a good bye note on Monday while she was still alive but got distracted. I think I might blog the note for the world to see.
How do you tell someone what their life meant to you? How their stability at a time when you where very unstable was meaningful. I remember going to my Aunt's house when I was a teenager. We picked blueberries, she had the most abundant blueberry bushes and they were delicious. What a nice house she had with a finished basement. My uncle Louie put the casing on the Hebrew National products so there was always a salami or frankfurters or something like that in the house. She was the oldest in a family of 3 girls and one boy. She like my grandmother, after her death, kept the family together. She was loving, kind, considerate, courageous in all the operations she had to endure. Taking care of my uncle Louie so lovingly when he had Alsheimer's. Not ever thinking of putting him somewhere but loving him everyday. I thought that was a testimony of 60 plus years of love and faithfulness. My aunt Sophie was very special. I am going to miss her so much. One consolation is she is up in heaven with my own mother smoozing right now.
I spent yesterday trying to get a ticket to NYC from CLT. What a nightmare. The rates went from $250 to $750 to $1600 in a matter of minutes. My cousin Anita says it is whatever the airlines can get. Do you know that USAIR doesn't even have a bereavement fare any longer. That was disappointing. BUT GOD MADE A WAY. Jan's partner's husband Jeff came to the rescue. So did James. He transferred 10,000 pts into my AX account so I could try and get a dividend mile ticket. Sweet, he is a lovely child. And Jeff I think got it for me. I have to check this morning. Thank you thank you thank you.
So, what looked like a day of hopelessness turned around. I will be able to go to the funeral on Thursday morning at Mt. Ararat on L.I. I will even be able to visit my mother's grave which will be nice. I can have a lovely chat with her. Please keep me in your prayers. I'm feeling a bit fragile these days.