Mericia

My oldest sister, Mericia, was so faithful.
Not the faithfulness that is convenient or
simply housed in a church building and then
put of  away the rest of the week. Not
the faithfulness of today were we talk about
Jesus and the love of God and then forget
to vote our faithfulness to help those less
fortunate then ourselves: the poor, elderly and children.


In the photograph above, she is just full of
joy as she has her first child baptized.
I don't believe another
photograph exists that so clearly expresses her happiness.

It was her faithfulness that 
carried her through the battle of her life.  Cancer.

Today marks the twentieth year of her passing. 

Her children missed growing up with their mother,
we missed our sister and our mother
missed her daughter to her dying day.
During the last year of Mericia's life,
our mother provided around the clock care.
They were both very brave.

We, kids, used to joke that
you had to be sick for our
mother to really care. It was our
way of denying and of coping.


What I gained by losing both my father and sister
so early in  life was you mustn't take anything
for granted.

Life is precious.  Don't squander it away.
There is no time like the present.
I learned that grace is getting what you don't deserve. 
I learned to not leave the house mad.
To risk loving even if it your heart gets broken.
To not complain, at least, not often.
To smile even if you feel like crying.
To live every day as if it were your last.  
To not have regrets.
I learned that through your own suffering
you can help others.
Jesus came for everyone not just the people
you agree with.
And that God is good.