We LOVE YOU Hermese

In our church we have a program called Visiting Teaching where each woman and a partner are assigned a certain number of other women that we visit each month. If there is an illness or heartache, we are the point person for helping their families. You can't help but love them and develop deep relationships. I Visit taught Hermese for over 2 years, and they just changed me about 7 months ago. She has been such a comfort and delight in my life. She ALWAYS told me how great I was and would specifically identify things she had seen me do so I knew she really had thought about ME. I felt SO loved by her. Whenever I tried to let her in on the REAL me she would laugh and say that made her love me all the more. So, it was so easy to be the real me when I was with her. She really helped me to learn to love myself more and lessen the expectations of myself. I just felt so LOVED when I was with her.I have marveled at how gracefully and mentally and physically she has born her age. (We just attended her 90th birthday party a few weeks ago) Too often I have used her as a comparison to my Grandfather and wondered at the difference, wishing GrandDad could be as well as Hermese. Well, you just never know. GrandDad is STILL kicking around ALONE in Bluevale (Yesterday he said he IS coming to live with us through the winter now he knows that his income tax problem is close to over) and Sunday night Hermese just went HOME. It's times like these when my testimony of God's love for us individually is strengthened. Hermese was FINE, but had had enough of being without her husband and wanted to move on. And GOD who couldn't help but ADORE her for all the LOVE she generates, just let her come. I think God had had enough of her being out of arms length. I actually believe that when you are that good---just GOODNESS embodied---90 years worth, that God won't deny you your loving hearts desire. I love you Hermese, and I'll be coming to find you soon after I get home too. Get the cookie dough ready.
Her funeral is Saturday at 11 during a wedding shower I am giving for a dear neighbor friend. I swear to you she would be upset with me if I cancelled the shower to go to her funeral. I think I'll just move the shower to later in the afternoon even though it's late notice. Hermese, I just want to be counted by the angels in heaven as someone loved by you. I KNOW it'll get me heavenly brownie points one day. I want to be like you. I want to be LOVE.