Betty

Wow, summers almost over! It makes me sad. I only realized it was summer in like July! I'm not really sure what to write right now. My last post was happy and exciting, but what happened only days after my engagement was really quite hard. My Aunt Betty passed away. Cancer. She had battled tongue and one even tho she was left with scars from it. Due to later complications she was hospitalized again, and in the months that it took the doctors to help her improve the cancer returned much worse than before and it invaded her bones and lungs. This news we partially expected as she was experiencing unexplained pain in her legs. Non the less we thought she was getting better. On July 18th Chris and I were on our way to eat dinner with Chris' siblings when I got a call from Uncle Bill. The doctors had just informed him of the cancer spread and gave her 48hrs to a month to live. I needed to call my parents as they were up at camp with Mary and Richard. I called Dad right away and since it was already 7pm there was no point in coming down because it was a 7 hour drive. He planned to come the next morning. Chris and I sped off to the hospital to see Aunt Betty because we didn't know how long she'd last and we hadn't gotten to tell her about our engagement yet. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I was nervous and so glad I had Chris with me. She acknowledged us and when I told her we were engaged a huge smile crossed her face and she said "Oh, I thought I'd be dead." She knew she was near the end...its just hard to hear the reality. I was so glad we went to see her when we did.
When I woke up Thursday morning Uncle Bill informed me that she was gone...I was in shock, even tho I had seen how low she was it still hit me hard. Now came another one of the hardest things I"ve had to do...call my dad. How do you tell your Dad that his sister is gone, when she was suppose to be on the mend, when the last time he saw her(less than a week before) she was doing so much better. I did my best to compose myself and called..."Daddy Chris and I went to see Aunt Betty last night. We got to tell her that we were engaged and she was able to acknowledge it. I'm sorry Daddy but she passed away at 5am." He replied "What a blessing, what a blessing for her." The funeral took place a week later as my Uncle Don needed to fly in from Zambia and things needed to be arranged. Sometimes I almost forget she's gone and then it all comes flooding back. The other day I had a dream she'd come to stay with us as the cottage because she had sold hers. I'm so thankful I got to see her, I'm so thankful we brought her happy news. It's kind of weird being the last visitors, but cool too. Now she's with the Lord, her maker. There is no better place. I miss her.