Love like Jesus, #laryngectomy, #laryngectomee

 

sisters Tomorrow will be the memorial service for my dad's passing. I have to realize that life continues. There will be difficult days ahead. But there are good days coming.

Of 6 kids growing up, 4 of us remain. Lucy, me, Patty, Joe, in that order (names have been changed to protect the innocent.) Patty, even though the next to the last, has become the one who can organize and plan and make decisions better than the other 3 of us. She and her husband make a good team. He has a servant's heart as well and is always willing to help with physical labor or sage advice. Of all 4 girls growing up, Patty was the youngest girl but then later had the oldest husband. (My oldest sister who died several years ago, had the youngest husband. That always cracked me up.) Patty and her husband have the largest home of any of us and so is the one who gets stuck hosting get togethers. Always, always, always with love and kindness. 

And it was with that same love and kindness that she took in our dad and cared for him for 2 years. She had been the one researching nursing homes, getting him signed up for care. When dad would go to a hospital Patty made sure they had all the paperwork that was necessary. When one nursing home didn't give the kind of care we thought dad deserved, she would find another. And that is how dad ended up at her home, for 2 years, until his passing. She has truly shown what it's like to love like Jesus. 

And now she is the one spearheading the memorial service. She's been at it tirelessly for almost 2 weeks. She has all the paperwork; contacts the several miscellaneous people that need to be involved and making the necessary decisions for a slide show of dad's life. The list could go on and on of what she's had to undertake for this service.  

I've tried to help where I can. As a laryngectomee phone calls are difficult. Even in person, communicating can be difficult, so she has taken on most of this and all with love and grace. 

Being a laryngectomee can be challenging, but we all have challenges in one form or another. HOW we handle those challenges is vital to our living testimonies of Jesus' love for others. Patty has shown that.

I hope everyone is blessed enough to have a sister like my sister, Patty. 💖

Blessings,

Mary