ArizonaButterfly

One of my colleagues was diagnosed with leukemia a year and a half ago, and fought valiantly through chemo and radiation. Through all of that, she maintained a positive and kind disposition, still always more concerned about the people around her. She truly had a sweet and gentle spirit. I never heard her say one negative or unkind word to anyone. She had a too-short time in remission. When she learned she was out of remission, things still looked hopeful…more chemo but hope.

Last week she came down with a secondary infection…pneumonia. As she lay in the hospital with a high tem fighting it, they discovered a spot on her lung. When they attempted to biopsy it they were unable to and ended up putting her on a respirator in hopes of giving her body a chance to gain strength to fight.

She lost her battle early this morning. My heart goes out to her family…she truly was their rock. My heart also goes out to my district as we grieve yet again a life too short lost to a horrid disease.

With folded wings and down-turned heads
The angels stopped to pray
For those of us on earth instead
Of with you every day
Although the minutes pass like hours
And hours pass like years
We find ourselves less than empowered
Now that you are not here.

Although we see you in a place
Of the greatest appeal
We find the void is not replaced
By what our dreams reveal
Each cloud may be in silver trimmed
Beside a shining sea
But, without you, the light is dimmed
And it will ever be.

Each angel viewed the sense of loss
We felt within our hearts
And stretched a sunbeam, miles across
The distance we’re apart
To show us that we will one day
Be, yet again, as one
Far from the saddened skies of gray
That came to block the sun.

Upon that beam, we saw the light
As it stretched ‘cross the sky
And knew that we would be alright
In the wake of goodbye
Thanks to the angels’ folded wings
And softly down-turned heads
We eyed what the future would bring
Where sorrow once had fed.
~Jill Eisnaugle