Saying Good- Bye

Saying good- bye is never easy but when it involves letting go of those we love it makes it terribly hard. Death has claimed Delora Hilmanowski, a long time friend of mine.
I first met Delora while working as a nursing assistant at the Dassel Lakeside Nursing  Home. I started working their in 1990. Delora's mother' Mary Hawkins, was a resident there and so I took care of her. One of Mary's daughters was also a nurse there. One time when I was taking care of her mother, Ava, the nurse, came in to see her mom. She saw how gentle I was with Mary and the level of care that I gave and Ava told me to never stop caring. Mary was very grateful for my gentleness as she was crippled up with Rheumatoid Arthritis and that is a very painful disease. I became one of Mary's favorite care givers and it also earned me the love of her family. I stood beside Delora and her family as they let go of their mom and I have stood beside Delora as she has let go of some of her siblings; it was not easy for any of them to let go.

 Today I stood beside Delora as I prepared her body for for the last Farewell of her family. It was not easy but it was at her husband's request that I prepare her for the  final reviewal. As she was an endowed member of the church,  I along with four other sisters, removed the hospital gown and the items that she last wore in this life and replaced them with her temple clothing. I brushed her hair and braided it, she is part Cherokee by heritage, then I placed her veil on her. I folded her hands across her chest and she looked so peaceful. She is not being embalmed and as such is being cremated so she still had her natural coloring but more than anything else was the beautiful smile that she had on her face. She is home with our Heavenly parents, with Jesus and with her family that has gone on before her. She has been released from her pain and suffering and she is at rest.

This good-bye has been hard but having a knowledge of the Gospel and of Heavenly Father's plan for us has made it so much easier to bear. Rest in peace my dear friend!
We shall meet again someday!