Love Me Forever And Always.....

It was a Thursday night when my phone rang. It was Rick telling me how much things had changed with Sandy since leaving just days before and letting me know that I needed to come back. I was on a flight the very next morning. I was so thankful to be back. It was always so hard to be home. There was such a pull to be there caring for her. I have been so thankful that I got to go take care of my dear friend. Friday felt so sweet but so different. Saturday morning I was doing things to care for her when God revealed to me that she really was going to die. With every trip I just didn't know what his will was going to be in it all. I knew he could heal her and hoped that he would but that morning I knew it wasn't going to happen. I text Tony and told him what and how it was revealed to me. It broke my heart. I told no one else. About an hour later I was tending to Sandy when she looked at me and said "just a few more days." I asked her if she really felt that it would be a few more days and she said yes. I told her what the Lord had revealed to me that same morning. The next few days will be a treasured memory. We had time to say so many things to each other. We even had such a connection that we didn't always even need to speak. (Rich laughed one night because I answered her question but she hadn't said anything) I watched her say her goodbyes to her children and husband. I watched her say her goodbyes to those that came to see her. Our goodbye was a cry fest. (of course) We spent almost every minute together over those few days. Her pain was increasing and she wasn't sleeping so neither did I. God gave me so much strength. On Thursday Sandy knew that she would pass away on Friday. It was hard to know that I would lose my friend and confidant the very next day. I would look at her and think "what am I going to do without her?" Friday came, that was the day. I took my time getting her ready for the day knowing it would be the very last time. I brushed her long, thick hair, gave her a bath and fixed her the way she liked to be fixed. I stood at the foot of her bed as I finished and told her "You are ready to go home now." I got a sweet smile. It wasn't much longer that she began to leave this life. She had been dry heaving quite a bit over the last several days. Once again she started, so I did what I always did and wrap my arm under her and held her on her side. It wasn't long and I knew "this was it" I told Rich to go get Rick. I will treasure the last words she said to me, I still hear her whisper in my ear "Love me Forever and Always". She was leaving us quickly and the guys weren't there. It seemed like they were taking forever. I told Sherry to tell them to hurry. She ran to get them. Sandy was gone. Only the body was reacting to death but she had already left us. For her, it was all over. Her pain, troubles and trials were over forever. I laid her back on the bed. It felt so strange to have it all over. It seemed strange to hear her still whispering in my ear but yet only her shell was there. I will always treasure the time God gave me to care for her but I have questions in it too. Questions that probably will never be answered. I will play back the things she said to me over the week and treasure it all. I will remember her sweet goodbyes to the ones she loved. I will remember how helpless I felt when she would look at me and say "Kim, help me". There was nothing I could do other than rub her and hold her hand. I thank the Lord that he let me have this time with her. That he answered my prayer and let me be there with her when she left this life, he even let her go in my arms. My dear friend is gone and I will miss her each and every day and I will love her forever and always.