One of our favorite bedtime stories and lullabies is "Love You Forever". I don't know how many times I have read it and I cry every time. Then we sing:
I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always.
As long as I’m living,
My baby (or we improvise by adding Pinky, Rosie, Mommy, Daddy) you will be.
(To the tune of "Sent Forth by God's Blessing")
(To the tune of "Sent Forth by God's Blessing")
The last day we saw you, we sang this with you. What a treasured memory we have, singing to you, our dear Jean. But how to pick just one word for you? There isn't one word that can sum up what we are . . .
Growing up,
any time someone in our house was sick or hurt, we insisted my mom call
you. You were a nurse, we knew you must
have all of the answers. As a college
student and still as an adult I would call for advice about myself or my
kids. “Pinky has a hand full of slivers,
what do we do?” “Rosie has a noodle in
her nose, what do we do?” It’s mono,
it’s broken, it’s cancer, what do we do? It wasn’t just your medical advice we were seeking, although some of
your suggestions were entertaining, it was your reassurance that it was going
to be ok. And the prayers that we knew would follow the call.
I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always.
As long as I’m
living,
My nurse you will
be.
Up until the
day that you took your last breath, you have been teaching us lessons about
life, faith, and friendship. Weather it
was in the church basement during a Sunday School lesson, or around your
kitchen table, you were teaching us through laughter and tears. Silly pranks, riddles, songs, and games were
all part of your repertoire and we loved any chance to learn and experience a
new one. As we sat beside you just days
ago, holding your hand a sharing songs and kisses, you were teaching us about
living and dying, about peace and grace, and about a faith stronger than no
other.
I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always.
As long as I’m
living,
My teacher you will
be.
Most people would probably say that a distance of 4 miles is too great
to call one a neighbor. But few people
lived closer, and the short drive to your house was one we knew well. We loved stopping at your house on our way to
or from town. We would almost hold our
breath in anticipation of feeling the car start to decelerate, indicating what
could never be a quick stop at your house.
Even if we were running to the “Sevre store”, we knew you would have
more than a cup of sugar or a stick of butter to offer.
I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always.
As long as I’m
living,
My neighbor you will
be.
It’s been said by many that you were not afraid to ask questions. And
you weren’t. It’s been said that you could get information out of just about
anyone. And you could. You also held those you loved to a high moral
standard. You expected honesty,
integrity, and respect from those you loved, and you gave back the same.
One might mistake this for expecting perfection, but you were helping
many of us to understand our role as responsible, caring, contributing,
Jesus-loving individuals. I maybe didn’t
always understand or appreciate your lessons at the time, but you helped mold me into the person I am today.
I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always.
As long as I’m
living,
My mentor you will
be.
My mom has
said over and over “Jean has taught us a lot about friendship.” What a friend you have been to all of us. We
have a lifetime of memories of fun times together. Slumber parties and play dates at your
house. Road trips to Medora, rodeos,
parades, ball games, and concerts. Game
nights, movie nights, bonfires, and coffee breaks. Don’t forget the rocky road
ice cream! How many nights were spent
laughing around your kitchen table or a bonfire in our back yard? So many, and yet not nearly enough. How many
times did you help with painting and wallpapering projects at our house? How many home permanents were given in one of
our kitchens? How many times were you
the first to show up with a hug or a phone call when we needed it?
I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always.
As long as I’m
living,
My friend you will
be.
Two of my favorite pictures of the 2 of us together are true examples
of our relationship. The first, a
picture of me “helping” you wash dishes when I was a little girl. There we
were, having fun together on an ordinary day doing an ordinary task, one of
many ordinary days that were made so much brighter because we were
together. But more importantly, you were
loving on me, post-“accident” and pants-less, in spite of my flaws and
imperfections. I’m sure it wasn’t the
first time and I know it wasn’t the last that you loved me in spite of the messes I had made.
The second picture is of the 2 of us holding hands on Jessica’s wedding
day, our last big celebration together.
Baptisms, birthdays, graduations, baby showers, wedding showers,
weddings, and anniversaries. All made
more special because we celebrated together and because we had spent hours
helping each other prepare for the special occasions. You have
been such an important part of my life that the line between friend and family
has become very gray. You were the first to teach me that love can trump biology.
I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always.
As long as I’m
living,
My family you will
be.
There isn’t a single word that can describe the relationship we’ve
shared. There isn’t a single part of my life that you
haven’t been a part of. It has been such
an honor to get to share life’s most cherished moments with you. It has been an absolute blessing to have had
you beside me during the hard times. I
can’t thank you enough for all of the guidance, laughter and love. Your life was one of God’s greatest gifts to
mine.
I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always.
As long as I’m
living,
My Jean the Bean you
will be.
