Life and Death

Well it often seems I only blog when there's a major life event happening.  Guess that's ok.  10 days ago, Ashton had a baby girl 11 lbs 9 oz.  Yes it was a C-secton.  She looks exactly like her mother did when she was born over 20 yrs ago.  Hard to believe she's old enough to have her own.  Mom, Dad and baby are doing very well.  Freaking out at every little thing like you are suppose to as new parents. 

It's been fun helping out and being there to give advice when she's freaking out.  She's a beautiful baby.  The day Basilia Mae was born, I found out a dear friend had been taken to Hospice.  I had lunch with my friend Tarji that day and we chatted about how important Vivian had been to us.  Now today 10 days later, Basilia Mae is 10 days old and Vivian is in Heaven.  The advice my mom gave to me when I found out Vivian was in hospice was send her cards, and so I did 4 of them right away.  Ones I hand made because she always appreciated my hand crafted cards.  I know she was able to enjoy them and I encouraged other to send cards right away.  I'm happy she left this earth knowing she was so loved.  So today when I lost my dignity at the nursing home where my mother is rehabbing from a broken leg, my mom's advice was write about it when you get home. 

 

Vivian started at IKEA before me, and was there through build up with all of us.  We really got to know each other well when she finally joined Facebook, and she saw things about me she wouldn't have known otherwise since I am primarily focused on work at work as was she.  I'll never forget how hesitant she was to join in with sharing on Facebook, but once she saw how beneficial and useful it was she had a lot of fun with it.  It was very therapeutic for her as she was going through everything with her cancer.  She also used it often to chat with us coworkers who shared things she could relate to and she would then message us with sound grown up advice, or tell us how happy we looked.  Or how pretty a picture was.  Or how beautiful out kids were. 

 

When she got her ipad mini, about once a week for a few weeks, she'd message me with technical questions, which was always funny to me because she used to be out IT person at IKEA.  She knew how to do hard IT stuff but was baffled by the ipad technology.  Ha Ha!

 

This is my memorial picture to her......she did the ordering of printer ink for IKEA, and the company that sent it always sent a giant 2 lb party bag of peanut M&M's.  She would always sneak the bag into my snack drawer because she said if they were at her desk she would eat them all.  Then 2 years ago I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, then she wouldn't let me have the M&M's anymore.  Ha. 

She was such an encourager to so many people.  Even when she was going through her own stuff she'd take the time to sit and talk with you about your stuff and what you were going through and then she'd share her own experiences, and what her fears were.  I could only hope to be half the women she was.  Rest in Peace sweet friend.  Once again I did as my mother told me to, and wrote it out. 

Vivian Church