"Wash the plate; not because it is dirty or because you are told to wash it, but because you love the person who will use it next." -St. Theresa of Calcutta
Such a beautiful quote. Such a sweet reminder of what really matters in this life. Love.
Last Wednesday evening, our dear friend of many years, DeAnn Geiger, finished her race and received her heavenly crown after a 9 month cancer battle. She always "washed the plate"... until her last breath.
From 1996 to 2023, our friendship grew. God wove our lives together in such a way I am still amazed at the intricacies of it all. Can you believe both of our mothers were named "Ina?" What were the odds of that?
It all began with chatting outside of Lincoln Elementary School waiting for our children at the end of the school day. Then, we began serving at PTO together, organizing the Picture Person program, surviving school carnivals, and building a playground. We enjoyed so many of the same things, it led to hanging out whenever we could.
DeAnn, Jill, Kim, and I shared so many chapters in our lives. We became an easy foursome. When her first grandbaby, Brady, arrived... he referred to us as "Grandma and the Girls" when he learned to talk. We called him "the boyfriend."
Our guys enjoyed each other's company, too, making any gathering fun and memorable. If you have ever been blessed with a bag of DeAnn's caramels, you know why hiding them became a regular game at our house when a bag was gifted to us. I will never forget the time DeAnn told us Timm made sure she had the best wrappers for her caramels to make them pretty and easier to wrap. His thoughtfulness touched her heart and she didn't take it for granted. She was a master at sweet treats and food to share, and Timm perfected loving DeAnn.
We savored "Scrapping and Chatting (mostly snacking) at church", connecting on Wednesday nights, sharing birthdays, taking getaway trips, laughing our way through so many New Year's Eve celebrations, the loss of our parents, and sharing our children's milestones (new drivers, graduations, weddings, and her grandbabies) as they grew into adulthood, and then having to say good-bye to Jill when Jesus called her home.
Through DeAnn and Timm, we eventually got to know her Brother-in-law, Kent, and Sister-in-law, Brenda, Andrew, Ben, and Timm's mom, Karen, too. More special and enduring friendships were born. We grieved together when we had to say good-bye to Kent before our hearts were ready.
I am so grateful that in the seasons of laughter and celebration we shared. When there was sorrow or sadness, we did it together. Rooted in faith and holding hands, every chapter of the past 27 years was better together.
These two verses came as gifts in my inbox today:
"but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined." -Titus 1:8
DeAnn was so hospitable. She was always "washing the plates" because she loved the people around her. That passage sums up her life in a nutshell.
I feel like the next verse is one she would give to all who are missing her. Read it like a blessing.
"You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him." -Deuteronomy 13:4
We do not grieve as those who have no hope. The heavenly reunions will be so sweet.
Today, I am grateful for those who wash the plates.
No comments:
Post a Comment