My friend.

{Marilyn, Mrs. Payne, Anna}

At the party.

For the past 2 years I have spent my Mondays with my dear friend, Mrs. Payne. She and her husband have been close friends to our family since I was about 13 years old. About 4 years ago they both discovered they had cancer. Last year in March Mr. Payne passed away. I had been staying with them because he was not doing well, and she could not care for him alone. Mrs. Payne has been through so much. She took care of her husband, while she herself was going through chemo. She had 4 different kinds of chemo, suffered from much pain and side affects, and never through all of this, did she stop praising the Lord for the good things He has done. She has been a pillar of faith, a prayer warrior who "moved mountains, and she never left her knees". To me, she has been a grandmother. Gentle, loving, always wanting to teach and share her wisdom and her skills. She would stop to pray whenever a new request or concern arose. One day she was so tired and weak, but she came hobbling out of her room with her walker, asking if we could pray together for the families affected by the floods in the South. She couldn't sleep with that on her mind. What a lady!

In August she was taken to the hospital, and after 5 days they released her, only with the assurance that she would receive 24 hour care. Her body was getting weaker and weaker. She herself had never given up faith, or accepted that she was dying. She was going to LIVE! (she said herself, "I am going to stick around just for spite!") Marilyn and I put together a schedule, which wonderful ladies from the church began to fill. Marilyn and I stayed the nights, and while we were working, the sweet ladies came to sit with her. We had such precious times! I loved the evenings when Mrs. Payne would tell me to "Go get your pajamas on, and come back to my room so we can have Bible study together!". Every night we did that. Then we would pray for understanding of whatever we had read.

Mrs. Payne wanted to have a party. She had not gotten to use her new deck yet, as she had been to sick to entertain. But now she wanted to invite all the sweet ladies and their husbands who had been coming over to sit with her. She wanted to have a "Thank You Party". The party soon grew from just the ladies and spouses, to the whole church, and some neighbors and other friends! She just couldn't leave anyone out, or forget to include someone. The week of the party she was so excited:-) She would sit in the kitchen at the table and read over the list of those invited, making sure no one was left out. She helped make the dressing for the macaroni salad. The day of the party she got dressed (she had been wearing her night gowns all of the time), had her hair done by a lady in the church, and then sat in the bathroom and put on make up!

She had such a wonderful time! And so did everyone who came. Everyone kept commenting on how well she looked. She enjoyed herself completely, surrounded by such dear friends.

One week later she woke up so weak she could barely stand. She drifted in and out of consciousness all day. The hospice nurse came out and helped us lift Mrs. Payne from her wheel chair to her bed. Mrs. Payne was un aware that we had even moved her. She did wake up for a little bit that evening. She asked, "Is Anna here?" "Yes, I am right here!" I replied- I was sitting on the edge of her bed. She turned to me and gave me such a warm hug. I told her I loved her, and she said, "I love you, too!" We helped her back into her wheel chair when she requested going to the kitchen for some pie (Hospice said she must stay in bed, but how could we turn down this request?!). We fed her peach and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Then we wheeled her back to her room and helped her back to bed (It was easier this time since she was conscious). That night 3 of us stayed. Saturday morning she woke up briefly, and said some things that didn't make sense. Then she slept. Her breathing grew worse and worse. A hospice nurse came that night and changed her medication. He was a wonderful Christian man, and explained everything that was going on. I slept in her room Saturday night, but mostly I kneeled against her bed, holding her hand and watching the pulse on her neck to see if she was still breathing. Sunday she slept all day. I could not leave her bedside because I was worried she would go and I would miss it. Various church friends stopped by, and someone picked up her grand children so they could be with her. Sunday evening, at 6:55 p.m., her breathing suddenly changed. I went to the kitchen to tell Marilyn, Janice, and the others that they should come. We gathered once again around Mrs. Payne's bed. I sat there beside her, one arm behind her neck, the other holding her hand. We prayed, then we sang. And at 6:59 p.m., after being unconscious for over 24 hours, she looked up with wide eyes, opened her mouth, and a tear fell down her cheek. She then closed her eyes and mouth, and at 7:00 p.m. she went to be with Jesus. We know, that at the moment she opened her eyes she was looking at the face of our Lord and Savior.

I miss my sweet Mrs. Payne so much. But I KNOW that she is with the Lord, and she is at the place she has been living for all of her life. My dear Mrs. Payne, I love you! I will see her again, and I am so glad!