Dedicated to my cousin: Rose, who has gone home after a very long battle with cancer.
She sits watching her two energetic sons rip open their Christmas presents while she rests on the couch. A shimmer in her eye and a smile on her face, she talks excitedly with them, her husband, and her other family members who have spent the holiday with her. She continues to laugh even when she hears the soft voice breath in her ear.
“Rose, my angel, you’re tired. Please come home.”
“Just one more day,” she whispers back to the voice.
“But you have asked for so many more days and you have fought well. Please come home and rest,” God answers.
“I know I keep asking but please, God, one more day.”
God smiles gently and brushes back some of her hair from her worn yet brave face, “Of course, my angel.”
The New Year rings loudly across the world as the world happily celebrates 2018 and once again Rose talks excitedly with her family about what the future may hold. And again, God comes to her and whispers in her ear to come home and rest but she still asks for one more day. God nods and obliges her, letting her continue her fight.
God comes to her one last time early in the morning on January 4th and kneels down beside her as she sleeps in bed. She stirs a little, having felt his presence and opens her exhausted eyes to look at him “Rose, my angel, you are tired. Please come home and rest. You have done a beautiful job with your sons and your husband. Your family and friends of course will miss you but it’s time to come home. You have won your long battle and deserve your rest.”
Rose sighs heavily and nods, feeling proud for what she has accomplished: meeting and marrying her soulmate and best friend, Raising two beautiful strong sons, having countless friends that she could always rely on and they could always rely on her, the best family any girl could ask for. A smile spreads across her face and she nods again. “All right, God. I am ready to come with you.”
God gently takes a hold of her hand and helps her stand from her body and bed, her eyes flickering with love and hope as she looks at her family that surrounds her. “This isn’t goodbye so I’ll just say I’ll cya later,” she says as she turns away and walks alongside God, hand in hand, and feeling freer than ever. She glances back to see two beautiful feathered white wings spread from her back and she grins, looking at God, who smiles delicately and nods.
“You have earned your wings, my angel.”
It’s not goodbye, dear Rose, it’s a cya later. May you rest in peace now that you’ve become another one of God’s angels. We love you and will miss you but we know it’s time for your to rest after being such a strong warrior and fighting the cancer for so long and to go home with God. Always know that your family and friends will never forget you and that you sons with the help of their amazing dad and other family members will grow up to become wonderful gentlemen. So again I say to you dear cousin, we will see you later.
Very touching tribute to your cousin, Lacey.