88 pounds.
December 28, 2010 at 6:15am, Charlotte Ann Parrish stopped fighting her earthly battle with breast cancer, and heard the words "well done".
I go shopping with my mother-in-law. Charlotte went to chemo treatments with my Aunt Ovelene. They found things to laugh about together - like the man who brought sardines to eat and made everyone else in the room sick, and shared the trials and sorrows. Charlotte not only lost her cancer companion when Aunt Ovelene died, but she also watched as her husband grieved the loss of his Mom, and her grandchildren grieved for their great-grandmother.
Charlotte defied the odds, again and again. Doctors would laugh when they'd give the prognosis, saying things like "The normal statistics are... and then there's Charlotte's statistics." And when people would ask how she was doing, she'd always respond "I'm still buying green bananas."
I don't want to know the depth of pain from losing a brother, a mom, and a wife within the space of five years. But I do know that Charlotte would be quick to remind people that we serve the Great Physician, whose speciality is broken hearts, and His Spirit brings peace and comfort. Some of the family joked somewhat that as long as it took for God to call her home, then He must be doing some awesome preparations on her room.
So as I pray for my cousin Tim and the rest of the family, I'm reminded of the song by Steven Curtis Chapman:
This is not at all how we thought it was supposed to be.
We had so many plans for you; we had so many dreams.
And now you've gone away, and left us with the memories of your smile.
And nothing we can say, and nothing we can do
Can take away the pain, the pain of losing you, but
We can cry with hope. We can say goodbye with hope.
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end. oh no.
And we can grieve with hope, 'Cause we believe with hope.
There's a place by God's grace.
There's a place where we'll see your face again.
Oh we'll see your face again.
And never have I known anything so hard to understand.
And never have I questioned more the wisdom of God's plan.
But through the cloud of tears I see the Father's smile and say "well done"
and I imagine you where you wanted most to be.
Seeing all your dreams come true 'cause now you're home
And now you're free.
We can cry with hope. We can say goodbye with hope.
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end. oh no.
And we can grieve with hope, 'Cause we believe with hope.
There's a place by God's grace.
There's a place where we'll see your face again.
Oh we'll see your face again.
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