Goals in Life- Big Laura

     Last night my mom called and let me know that the lady I was named after, my mothers godmother, passed away. She was 99 years old. This causes me some very mixed emotions. My grandfather knew this lady when he was first out of the military and had no where to go. She took him in and treated him like he was her own. She gave him a place to stay and helped him in so many ways. They went to church together and worked for the church together. She was this amazing person that we should all aspire to be like! She was also the most headstrong person I have ever met. Must be the name Laura... that's all can figure.

     She was a nurse in the military and then went on to become a nurse anesthetist in California and elsewhere. She got married just after school and stayed married until her husband passed away. Then at her 50th high school reunion  she met an old boyfriend that she had in high school and fell in love all over again. They got married and stayed married until the day he died 8 years later!  She took care of him and even taught him to read braille because he went blind from Diabetes. He lost his leg due to this illness, yet she stayed by his side! What an awesome, unselfish thing to do.  This women had cancer multiple times going through chemo and radiation each time. She even did all of this in her 80's because she knew the fight was not over and she was not ready to give up. Once when we went to visit she was taking radiation and chemo and at breakfast time came in the kitchen with no hair. She turned to me and said "Bet you didn't see that coming, did you?" I laughed at her and yet admired her for being so "ok" with it all. 

     Part of my mixed emotions are because this lady is someone who was always a prominent figure in my life. She is who inspired me to want to be a nurse and anytime I ever saw her she told me not to let anyone or anything hold me back! About 8 years ago when Michael and I very first got married we flew to California to see her. Like I said... she was a very head strong women and when it came to bedtime (about 8pm for her), it was bedtime for everyone. We were sitting in the living room and she decided it was bedtime and we all went. There were no questions asked. I can remember laying in bed with the daylight streaming through the window and saying to Michael, "I can not believe we are in the bed!" One of the days we went to the farmers market in her local town and anything we picked up she would slap our hands and say "NO! Don't buy that... we can get that at the grocery for less". I mean we are talking about buying like 4 lbs of bananas for 1 dollar and she said no! Funny! She met my husband for the first time in that trip and do you know the first thing she said to him?!?! Not  hello, nice to meet you but "I really don't think your hair does exactly what you want it do, does it?" How is it that old ladies can get away with that? Too much respect from other I think. 

    Back to the mixed emotions... I am sad to loose such an important person to my family who we have known all our lives and yet I am so happy for her because even 8 years ago the main thing I remember about this glorious women is that she was not afraid to die. She welcomed it. She wanted to be with the Lord and the people in her life who she loved so much and even looked forward to it. She told me "I pray every night that the Lord just go ahead and take me to be with him and my friends." Now that is faith! ! We should all believe that much. Sometimes I question this and I feel that is my right as a christian. Maybe not (obviously not) what every one believes but to have that much faith is awe inspiring to me. This is one of my goals in life and I am hopefully working towards that everyday. She also took us to the cemetery where both her husbands were buried. It tickles me now to know she got what she wanted and is lying in between these two men she loved so much. She told me while we were there, "This will be the only time in my life I can say that I have slept with 2 men." Ha!

     I honestly may have not gotten all the facts just right but I really don't mind. Even if these are not the exact facts, this is what I remember and wish to continue to remember. One of the things that I regret is that she never got to meet my children. I know she would have loved them so much as they would have loved her. Many times I invited her to come and visit but she was never able to travel that far. That being said, she never missed an important milestone in my life and always sent eloquent letters to prove it. I will always cherish the letters and the memories and will miss her greatly and look forward to the day when I am able to see her again.