Marge

This morning we attended the funeral for Marge Janecke, one of the members from Hudson. Since coming to this area I've gone to see her every Saturday afternoon. She's been stuck at a nursing home for TEN years and is well-known for her perserverance (obviously) and her positivity for life! I want to tell you more about her, since she has taught me a lot these past few months.

She eats what she wants to.

The head chef comes to her room every Satuday with the menu for the coming week so that she can pick it apart and make her "changes". I guess with ten years in the same place you deserve a few perks! Without fail he adhered to her requests. He always seemed to enjoy dropping by and never went away feeling burdened or frustrated. Marge loved him, and he knew it, but she did not like eating what she didn't like! She loved spicy food. I've never seen a 95 year old with a kick for the hot stuff but I watched her bottom out a bag of RED HOT potato chips. I ate three before maxing out. 

She says what she wants to.

Her whole life seems to be a storybook, though she rarely shared much about it. She was so much intrigued with other people's stories. She always asked questions about us and wanted to hear about our day, and our childhood, and our families. When she did talk about herself, she was point blank. One time the nurse came in and said, "It's one of those days where you go home and drink a glass of wine." Marge said, "I know what you  mean! In our church we don't put that in our bodies. We drink juice." And the nurse smiled and said, "You know what? I don't really like it, anyway." Marge loved her, and she knew it.

She does what she wants to.

The walls of her small hospital room were filled with her cross-stitch masterpieces. The foot of her bed was taped up with photos of dogs that she loved. Every time we came into her room she was sitting at her desk working on an Acrostics word puzzle. She got so bored after the first few years there that one of the members brought her a desktop computer for her to play solitaire on. Years without practice and arthritic hands kept her from doing what she really loved; playing the piano. One day we brought her a hand-made paper keyboard so that she could play along while we sang to her. She said afterward, "that was pretty as always AND I had fun doing it, too!" She was a faithful friend to many and received daily phonecalls from all around the country, only after years and years of her writing them hand-written lettes and poems of adoration, appreciation, and suggetion. She liked to be doing and to the very last day she did absolutely all that she could. 

She lived how God wanted her to live.

I think that's the most important part. She knew that God loved her, and for that she took herself into consideration. But in all that she did, she did it for Him. Today a man stood up and spoke about their 25 years of friendship. At the closing of his remarks he got a bewildered look on his face as he formed the sentance, "Knowing Marge... taught me about you. About your faith, about your ways. I thank you for that." and then he sat down. I don't know if he ever thought about it before, but for sure in that moment he knew why it was that she loved him so very much. She was more than just a friend, but a type of Heavenly Father. She loved every one of us the way that He does. It was a special talent that she had. 

Boy I miss her, but I couldn't be happier for her! I realized today how much we have in common. The years and generations between us seemed to cover the resemblance, but now that she's gone and I hear more about her I see myself in 70 years. I see myself exactly like her. I have a long journey ahead of me before I get there but she's given me the confidence to make the effort. 

The last time we saw her was very special. She was unresponsive and in a lot of pain, so after singing a few hymns we felt like it was time to go. I sat down and held onto Marge's hand and said, "can we sing you just one more song?" I thought she was asleep, but when I asked she smiled. I opened up to "Abide With Me Tis Eventide" and sang it just for her. Those last moments will be a wonderful memory for me. After that last song Marge seemed to come back. She told us how much she loves us, and thanked us. Sister Lewis said  a sort of "final goodbye" and if only Marge could have made her scowl... haha she asked, "when are you going to come back?" She passed away two days later, thankfully, because we were always afraid that she'd make the switch right in front of us while we sang to her! And today, I know she's a happy woman. She's where she's wanted to be for a very, very long time.

I guess the biggest thing she taught me was to be myself. I'm grateful for that because I truthfully really like being me, but sometimes I get convinced otherwise. In those moments I start to tell myself, "beware the eyes of marge" hahaha. I snap right back. 

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It was another amazing week. The days seem to mean more than ever before and I find myself feeling every single human emotion every single day. It's exhausting, but it's priceless. We're talkin' joy, pain, health, sickness, embarassment, confidence, bewilderment, conclusive, strong, weak, and grateful. I'm  happier than ever before because each day I learn, and I feel closer and closer to Christ. Even the bad seems immediately worth it. 

Go find someone new this week and become their best friend. I don't think you'll regret it. 

PS: I want to live in Samoa. What do you think?

LIFE IS GOOD

Hermana Hileman

Jordy's baptism day!

Sister Lewis with a really huge bush.