Chronic illness....how do you deal with it now?

I've seen former brothers & sisters that were very close to me in so much pain & the congregation hardly doing anything to help them. 

Shirley:  I actually wrote a poem about her once she passed, and talking about her, I still get tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat.  She had stomach cancer for a long while.  She was a wife to an umbelieving mate and she had no transport and would mostly walk to the meetings.  Even when I offered her a lift she would decline because she enjoyed the sunshine and she had time to talk to god.  She always had a kind word, she always smiled.  She sat by herself and hardly anyone would talk to her.  She new I had a love for silver rings and as her time to pass on got closer she gave me a present and it was her silver jewelry  (which I still have and wear).  She told me she had made peace with death - funny enough she never said anything about seeing me in the new order. 

Grandpa Norton:  My best friends grandfather - he was like my grandfather.  A tall straight man, strong, loud and he had big hands.  He was a hard man, and very suddenly got ill.  He shrivelled into oblivian - it was a most shocking transformation.  He was part of that generation that wasn't supposed to pass away and there he was dying in front of me.  He did pass on with his family and myself there.  When you see somone draw their last breath while you are still breathing easy - it is most surreal.  Mortality!!!!  I'll never forget that day and I'll appreciate the life I have today.

((Hugs)) LouBelle