This week has been one of the
saddest weeks that I can remember. On Tuesday, I lost a dear friend, and the
world lost a wonderful woman. After 17 months of fighting, cancer finally won
the battle against our sweet Ina. We all knew it was coming, although that
really doesn’t make it any easier.
But as sad as it is, I think we all feel a
sense of relief.
The hurt is over.
All the pain,
struggle, worry, and false hope. There won’t be anymore. We won’t all have to
wonder if a new kind of chemo will work, and we won’t have to be disappointed
when it doesn’t. There won’t be any more bad news.
She was ready to go. And
it is comforting to know that she is finally at peace.
I worked with Ina for
only seven months, but in that time she taught me a lot. Her positive attitude
and upbeat spirit always amazed me. She knew she did not have much time left,
yet she never let her fear show.
She was a woman who
loved her job. As the president of our company put it yesterday at Ina’s “Celebration
of Life Gathering,” it was the job she was made to do. She came in every
morning at 6:30 to make coffee and be sure everything was neat and tidy and
ready for the day, even though the office didn’t open until 8:00. And she never
wanted to take a vacation. There was no place she would rather be. It is
inspirational to know someone who absolutely loves what she does for a living. I
hope that one day I might find a career which brings me as much joy as Ina’s
brought her for 32 years.
If anything, I have definitely
learned to cherish my days here on Earth. Cancer is a horrible and tragic
disease. It doesn’t always matter how healthy you are. It doesn’t matter if you’re
black or white, short or tall, fat or skinny. It doesn’t matter how good of a
person you were. It just shows up one day and flips your whole world upside
down. And a lot of times, there’s nothing you can do about it.
But maybe it is true that
everything happens for a reason. And Ina’s life, though brief, was beautiful. She
touched a lot of people and put smiles on the faces of so many. I know everyone
at work is going to miss her so very much. I remember how she told my boss “You’ve
gotta hire this one,” on the day of my interview, or how she greeted me every
morning with a “Hey friend!” or how she liked to talk about all the good food
she loved to eat. Or her bright blue nail polish.
One of the many things I loved about Ina was that she was so easy to
talk to. I felt like I could tell her anything, and she would really listen,
and truly care. And when she talked, you wanted to listen. Even when she was
telling of troubles in her life, she did so in a way that didn’t make you feel
sorry for her, but instead made you admire her strength to knock down anything
that stood in her way. So she could ultimately find her happiness.
And I think she found
it. She found it in her work, in her friendships, and in her family. Oh, she
loved her family. Her husband, John, made her so happy, and she loved her
children and grandchildren so much. And you can’t forget her dog, Mr. Bailey.
Ina was so full of love for everyone around her, just as everyone else was for
her.
I may not have known her for very long, but I feel so blessed to have
had the time with her that I did.
She was just such a loving and
caring person. And I know everyone only has nice things to say about someone
after they die, but I truly never had a bad word to say about her when she was
alive, either. She was just an all-around wonderful person. And it isn’t fair
for her to be taken away from us so soon. But I guess God wanted her up there
with him. And as much as I know she would love to be at work right now, I know
she is going to have a great time up there. Maybe God will give her a seat at
the front desk of Heaven and little sign that says “Director of First
Impressions” and she will welcome everyone with her sweet smile.
I am so thankful that
there finally will be no more suffering.
She is flying with the
angels.
