I spent a bunch of time with Celia. Mike and I did a show back in early December but she's been sick and I'm a germaphobe so that doesn't really work very well. I see Sarah pretty regularly which is great considering the crazy that is her life with an infant. And Erika is apparently someone I see only on holidays now amongst a sea of people because her work schedule is so damn annoying for regular life. Did I mention she lives ridiculously far away... so lame. And don't even get me started on the guy ;)
So since the last time I wrote a lot has happened. It was the holidays, it's a new year. We celebrated birthdays and Christmas and New Years and then suddenly but not so suddenly I lost a friend. Her name is Valencia. She was such a wonderful woman. Truly a woman of God. She had cancer. Not sure how far along it was when she was diagnosed but she was also a fighter. We had a conversation about a year ago and something in the spirit told me cancer. I did some random research about some of the stuff she was talking about on FB and she mentioned she did some research of her own but the Dr's didn't see anything so they didn't even check for cancer. Man, looking back at the old messages I just realized that from 1 year ago, with no signs of cancer to now, where she is gone, it was a very short span of time. She hadn't been diagnosed yet but she mentioned that initial issue she was having and I just knew what it was. I was very specific with her about praying and going to the church elders to pray over her for healing but I'm not sure what came of it. I do know that in all her dealings, in every conversation I had with her, it revolved around Christ. I didn't think about it when I first found out that she passed but I really will miss her. I didn't have much interaction with her so her passing didn't really hit me until right now because I know exactly where she is. She is up in heaven praising God without any pain.
I met Valencia at work a few years back. I worked at a law firm during the start and worst parts of the recession. It's always hard to tell about the policies or rules that affect you as a Christian until you end up in a situation or conversation about God. It was difficult to always be walking on eggshells, trying not to offend and trying to be politically correct when everyone else isn't is hard to do in an environment that literally was devoid of God. Honestly, I can't even tell you how we met except to say that I would compliment her hair all the time because I was so amazed that it was ever changing and styled differently almost every single day*. I believe she came in sometime after me. She was nice and cared so deeply about God that you could see some of him on her. When I think about a hedge of protection about someone, she easily comes to mind. One day out of nowhere she said, "I'm going to pray for you". She then proceeded to bust out some oil and she anointed me with it. I don't really know what the prayer was about but she prayed while I was walking through the cubicles on the way to my desk. Just right there, smack dab in the middle of a bunch of people and you know me, the scaredy cat that I was, was more focused on what people were going to say as they passed us, rather than being in the moment with her. I'm not sure if I was in church at the time of this anointing but if I was then it would explain all the crazy stuff that happened while I attended CCC. If not, then it would explain why I'm still searching for the path that God want's me to be on. Anyway, back to the story, so there she was, just praying over me, specifically something to do with my hands, maybe that's where she put the oil but she just told me that God told her to pray for me so there you have it. And the crazy thing, while we were on the clock, while it was quiet and people are known for calling people out and getting in trouble for lollygagging, not a damn person noticed. So yeah, that's what I mean by hedge of protection. She attended a church on the East Side, I once went to an early morning prayer at like 4 am or something in a not so great part of town. It was definitely a new experience, random people walking through a desolate and semi rundown area. We had to park by an empty dark park. My skin color didn't match anyone else's. I held men's hands (which I hadn't done in years) while my husband and I prayed. I saw her, we prayed over a poster of children and that was it. I'd see her at work, attended one service with her on Sunday during regular hours but it was very long and Rick prefers a more conservative atmosphere for service so we didn't go back. I will say, I liked that church very much. She and I kept in contact through the years. I eventually left my job when I had my kiddo and she and I were Fb friends. She added me to her daily scripture texts. I used to get one every morning. At one point I thought I would just ask her to stop sending the text because I saw them on Fb but they were nice reminders to wake up to so I didn't. Then they became infrequent but I figured it was just a busy season. And then one day I saw a post on Fb about how she had now gone on home to the Lord. I didn't realize she was as sick as she was. She was always a fighter. I thought she would beat it. She was young enough but I guess God has his reasons and as I reflect on my relationship with her I can easily say she was a wonderful woman of God and he called his baby home. I'm sad as I write this but I know she is happy. I'm sorry for her friends and family she left behind but she was a beautiful woman and although we had her for a short time, she made such an impact.
I was reading through our old conversations and a few things stood out to me so I've included them below:
- Conversation started December 6, 2011
- December 6, 2011
- July 19, 2012
The last posts she had on Fb were pictures of Christmas trees that her nursing staff had brought to her, a picture of her daughter's grades and a picture of a bed pillow that her oncology team provided to her. She also had a picture of a baked loaded baked potato back in November. She made it to another birthday on December 27th and passed away on January 1st. In every one of the photos she is tagged in her infectious smile is showing.
These are her last texts to me. I have them saved on my harddrive.
* Yes they were wigs but I didn't know it until she didn't wear them anymore and she looked great in all of them and in her natural state.
Listening to Hole, Elliott Smith, Beck and Awolnation. Also listening to
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