With every Christmas card, I write…

Well, not every Christmas card, but a lot of them. :)

I guess this time of year takes a lot of us down memory lane...

And it seems every year as I sign my cards and prepare to send them far and near, to all those we see often and rare :), the words I write remind me of one certain lady.

Probably not the best example I had, but she was my friend… she loved me… she had time, or at least allowed me to follow her around, when I needed an escape...

One year at Christmas, she was certain she had no time to sign her own Christmas cards, and so I offered to help her out. I was at home still and had no cards of my own to send, I had the time, so... She gave me two phrases to write along with signing her name and her daughter's name.

I still use those words, I mean it from the heart when I wish you a "wonderful" or "great" Christmas. Every time I write those words (especially "wonderful"!), I am reminded of my friend.

Thankful for her investment in me, yet sorrowful over the choices she made later and the sad lonely end her life had. Sad that she never allowed me the opportunity to say goodbye and let her know how important her friendship was to me.

To remember her and how things happened in her life also reminds me we need to handle others with care. Things that need to be dealt with need to be faced, not ignored or avoided or put off. Even if something seems difficult or unpleasant, if we leave it until later, it may explode and instead of having an ego bruised, we can end up with lives destroyed…

My heart hurts to think my friend might have gone to Heaven without realizing how loved she was… to consider how betrayed she might have felt… to realize she never gave anyone (that I know of) the chance to let her know they saw the wrong, on all sides…

My heart wonders about her daughter… what happened to her? Where is she? Does she know her Mother's experience isn't the "norm"? Has she walked away from the Truth because of the experience her mother had?

There was wrong on all sides.

Her reaction to things was wrong. And perhaps she knew it?? Embarrassed?? Or justified in her own mind?? Angry. Hurt. Taken completely off guard...

There was hurt that lasted the rest of at least one life…

It makes me sad…

I can still see her smile and hear her say "WONder-ful!"

Bittersweet.

She was my friend. I miss her. I am thankful to have known her.

Choices. We all have to make them. My prayer for all those I know & myself, is that we will make the best, right choices- even if they seem hard or unpleasant. An unpleasant moment that can be recovered from, is far better than the permanent destruction that can be caused by false flattery, avoidance, or procrastination.