A Sweet Lady

I write when I am happy…and I write when I am sad. I don’t remember when I started pouring my emotions out on paper. I’ve done this for many years, long before I ever started my blog. But for some reason I didn’t pick up a pen to write about my Aunt Katheryn the day she passed away. I mentioned this to my youngest son. And he said, “Give it time mom, it will come.” I thought it was interesting that he said this. Then on the day of Aunt Katheryn’s funeral, my oldest son said, “You have stories to write today.” So, I feel lead to share some of my memories of a dear sweet lady and this brief testimony to the life of my Aunt Katheryn. May she rest in peace.

If you Googled “a sweet lady” I wouldn’t be surprised If the first thing that popped up was a picture of my Aunt Katheryn!! She was one of the dearest, kindest and sweetest people that I’ve been blessed to have in my life. And she was the only person who called me “Treesie”. She was two years younger than my dad and the oldest girl in a family of six children. So she was “sis” to the older two boys and a big sister to the younger kids. I remember Aunt Katheryn spending her vacations painting grandma’s kitchen, living room or whatever grandma needed help doing. She loved her family and they loved her too!

Aunt Katheryn was a devoted single mom with two girls. I thought it was great when her girls were little and they moved back to Arkansas to live. To me, it meant more cousins to play with. I was too young and didn’t understand the unfortunate situation with all the sadness, pain and heartache that came with her having to move back home. But her strength endured. She became and worked as a nurse. She and the girls lived in a small house a few blocks from the hospital where she worked. And since she didn’t have a car, she walked back and forth to work every day. She walked that path on hot summer days and in the bitter cold winter. Rain or shine that is how she got to work. I remember how tired she looked after work. She would unwind from a long day in her chair with her coffee.

Even after she bought a car, Aunt Katheryn continued to walk back and forth to work. “Unsure of herself” is the phrase I would use to describe her driving. I rode to town with her one time and we parked about a block away from where we were going, even though there were much closer parking places. Then, it took her about thirty minutes to parallel park on this hill. She nervously talked and laughed as she got her tires turned correctly and everything just so before we could walk down the hill to town. She was “unsure” of everyone else’s driving too. And she would hold on tight when we took her somewhere!!

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of playing with my cousins and the sleepovers at Aunt Katheryn’s house. She would let us make a big fort in the middle of the living room floor. We probably had every blanket in the house draped over the kitchen chairs. But she didn’t mind and seemed to enjoy watching us play. I’m sure times were hard for her and they didn’t have much to spare. But she always made us feel welcome.

After I was grown with little boys of my own, every card or letter that she sent us would have a couple of dollars tucked inside with a note attached that said for “the boys”. When my husband’s dad passed away she sent us a check for twenty dollars because as she put it my husband “needed a little something”. We sent the check back to her because it was enough that she cared to sent it. It was enough Aunt Katheryn that the charity in your heart bade you to do this for us. We felt the love and it was enough.

My Aunt Katheryn worked hard and made do with very little. She raised two good girls and taught them to love the Lord. She honored God and gave Him the praise for the good in her life. When I think of heroes and of the good Christian examples in my life, my Aunt Katheryn is one.

Aunt Katheryn, I will miss your smile and you laughter. I will miss your kindness and your sweet face. I admired your compassion, your understanding, your resilience and your strength. I will miss you!! Rest well sweet lady, for this is not the end for those that love the Lord. This is only the beginning!!

1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

Psalms 29:11 The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.