In Better Hands Now

This past weekend was an interesting one. It was great because I had a chance to just hang out with Trent, watch football, play games, eat, and relax, but it was also a sad time because a lot of people lost a very good friend on Saturday. Pastor Virginia really was a great friend to me. She genuinely cared about what was going on in my life and has numerous times gone out of her way and sometimes traveled 3 hours to be able to come and support me in my activities that she knew were very important to me. I will never forget all of the basketball games that she came to, nor will I forget her being so excited to come to my dance recitals every year. She was also great enough to drive from Ames to Sioux City to attend my dance show at Morningside. She was there every year, and when she couldn’t be there you can bet she was thinking about me and wished me the best and wished with all her heart that she could be there. I could always count on an email or an ecard on my birthday every year. I could count on an email from her at the beginning of the school year to wish me luck, a congratulatory email when I made the honor role, an email to ask me how my job search was going, and even a phone call just to ask I am. To know that she thought that much of me to think of me at all those random times makes me feel so happy and loved. I really knew that I could tell Virginia anything and could look to her for advice and a comforting and reassuring word when times were tough.

The toughest thing about losing her is realizing that I won’t ever see her again or talk to her again while I’m on Earth. It is just a hard thing to swallow for me, but it is something that I know is a reality. I do have to really step back and look at my sadness, though, and know that I have no reason to be sad. I know that she is in a much better place, a place so great that I am unable to comprehend it. As Lauren said to me, she’s up there being completely happy and she’s dancing and jumping around clicking her heels. Now when you think about that, how can you not smile? =) I am going to try to not be sad about all of this and do my best to just celebrate her life. I know she touched many people, and I hope people can learn from her as much as I have. She has truly taught me how to be a better friend and how to really rely on God to get us through the tough times, because He always will!