Sympathy Card for a Friend's Family

There eventually comes a time when you need to make a Sympathy card.  It's one card that I don't do ahead or have on hand when the occasion arises, like I would any other card....say a Get Well card, Thank you card or Thinking of You....well you get my drift.

  

It just feels weird, to me, to have a Sympathy card made up, waiting and ready for whomever may need one in the future.  I like to sort of personalize it to fit the people I am sending it to.  That's not to say if someone does do that, that it is wrong....it just doesn't work for me.

Anyway, I needed to make one for the family of an online friend that passed away last week.  She was the list mom of one of the stamping groups I belong to.  She had pancreatic cancer, so we sort of went through it with her and knew that this day would eventually come.  

She was such a blessing to others all the way through her entire ordeal.  She kept up her cheerful demeanor even as she slowly went downhill.....even sending the Yahoo group one final e-mail, telling us all goodbye, (now THAT was hard) a week or so before she died.  What an inspiration on how to face life!! 

I have to add that I have another friend that also found out she had pancreatic cancer about the same time as Joanne.  I asked for prayer for her on the list and Joanne would keep her in her prayers and she also would send my friend cards to lift her spirits during her ordeal.  They felt a connection, with each other, even though they had never met...because of what they were going through.  My friend kept saying that she would meet her one of these days when their journey on earth was over.

I never had the privilege of meeting Joanne, although, many in the group got together every year in Des Moines, IA to 'play' for the weekend.  I am never able to attend, as it always comes at a time when my Granddaughter comes to spend the summer with us. 

But, we did e-mail back and forth behind the scenes and shared some laughs over silly things.  

And, she always seemed to 'know' when you needed a 'boost' and a card would arrive in the mail. 

The other day, I was out in the garage sorting through some boxes (we had put all the stuff from the craft room out there when we redid the floors and painted)....so I was seeing what else I could bring back into my re-done craft room.  I opened a box with a bunch of cards and one struck my eye....and I thought, "I need to display this one, it makes me smile".  Then, I opened it up and saw that it was from Joanne.  Perfect timing....as she had passed away earlier that morning.  Thanks again, Joanne, for knowing the right thing to do at the right time ;-)

Enjoy your day!!!  And SMILE!!!

Hugs,

Char