Thanks to everyone

I wanted to thank everyone for their prayers and condolences this last few weeks. It has been a week since my aunt passed away. It was a wonderful service. It was short, just like my aunt had asked. My dad conducted the services and also gave a talk - he did an awesome job! My aunt, Judy also talked - she wrote this poem that I want to share.

You could find her in their trailer in the mountains near the stream.
You would see her beauty radiate, her smile a perpetual beam.
Her laughter made us happy, as her mouth she timidly hid,
And we loved to watch her face glow, embarrassed by what she did.

She loved to be with family, and friends that she held dear
in times of joy and times of sadness, she knew they were always near.
Her zest for life was evident in the way she tackled the dream,
And when it all seemed too difficult, she walked squarely down the beam.

She collected pigs, you may not know this, but they were everywhere.
They were in the kitchen, on the shelves, and in every here and there.
With her faithful dog named Shadow, in peaceful tending they sat,
Hundreds of them I'm telling you, she got them from this and that.

Karen was a JAZZ fan, but not the kind like me,
She didn't paint her face and act a fool like Jean.
She loved to go and watch us but stood some feet away,
But then when it was game-time, she'd go, but a distance she would stay.

When in Hawaii for treatment, with her first time cancer bout,
I went to visit for a while to see if I could help out.
We'd gone to the beach to get some sun, some young boys saw us there,
Thought she was Sinead O'Conner, got her autograph, and we did snare.

Another time while shopping, her head from chemo was bald,
There were those in the clothes shop talking, their words to me did scald.
But Karen wasn't offended, rather went straight-way to the mirror to dress,
And exclaimed "Judy, why didn't you tell me, my hair was such a mess?"

We laughed at all those experiences and shared so many more,
And now she's gone ahead of us, she's no doubt opening the door.
We'll all be there soon you see, our challenge is to prepare while here,
And when our time to graduate is come, there will be no reason for us to fear.

Now, Karen is not so far away, she's only around the bend,
And we'll be with her in twilight and in the morning glen.
The tears we shed, the heavy hearts, are just because we've loved,
She's free from pain and suffering, she sits with family above.

The circle of life is now complete, tho' her departure from us, too soon,
But we'll see her in the flowers, in the flow of the evening moon.
She'll touch you softly on your cheek, just as she did in life,
She goes in peace, she is content, your daughter, your mother, our sister, your wife.