[Dialogue] Dear Helen

[John Cock]

Dear Helen,

 

I am go glad to sing your praises, maybe the Queen of the cemetery house in
DC. I remember you as a leader in corporateness, in playing the necessary
role, in living your life. When we were all dragging, you and Bill were
cheering us on. What a couple.

 

We love you. Journey on in gracious peace.

 

John

 

And your "kids" are chips off the off block of what you (and Bill) are made
of, and I'm sure the grandkids are too.

 

  _____  

From: dialogue-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net
[mailto:dialogue-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of Carol Crow
Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2013 10:43 AM
To: Colleague Dialogue; Order Ecumenical Community
Subject: [Dialogue] Helen Newkirk

 

Dear Friends,

 

I have been asked by Patricia to forward this letter from her sister, Linda
Knutsen.  Helen lives with Linda and Lester in Virginia, (DC area) and is
nearing the end of her life.  They would love to hear stories from any of
you who have lived with Helen and Bill - please send them to
ljknutsen at gmail.com.  The family will read them to Helen and share with each
other.  Patricia leaves this afternoon to share these last days with the
family.  By evening Lisa will also have arrived.  Dave and girls are already
there and Jim will not be able to come from Serbia but was here last summer.
Other extended family are there and arriving.

 

Attached is a letter Linda sent out earlier this week.

 

Subject: Update on Mom/Helen - Feb 1, 2013

Reply-To: ljknutsen at gmail.com

 

Hello everyone,

I am sorry that I haven't kept you all in the loop more frequently on how
Mom is doing...it has been a good, but challenging month.

As anticipated, Hospice has been just simply wonderful, and has made this
last few weeks so much more manageable than I could have imagined. While Mom
continued for most of January to make her way, usually on her own, out into
the living room into her recliner to watch her favorite shows, record her
life stories, read, or just hang out, her strength steadily declined.
Thankfully, we have gotten her pain well under control, and she claims to
have little to none. Starting last Saturday for 4 nights she 'traveled' all
night long, talking constantly for most of 7 hours (!) with family members
and some strangers in all corners of the globe. These episodes were mostly
typical, illogical dreams with memories woven in, and were often quite
funny! I have many quotes from those nights that I have shared with my
siblings, and we have laughed and laughed!  My favorites are:

            "Oh, this is just terrible...my tacos are FREEZING!" ...and...
            "LINDA, JUST TELL ME WHAT THE PLAN IS!" (yes, very loudly!)

We have lots of family help here now to be with her. She has slept well for
the past two nights with little dream-talking, and her spirits are
excellent. Her humor and her intellect are most definitely intact! But she
can no longer bear any weight, and sleeps most of the time. She slept nearly
15 hours yesterday after her 4 days of 'traveling' and even then was still
quite tired. But today she was quite responsive and interactive, though for
very short periods between naps.

She is ready to 'go home' and quite at peace with the most **amazing** life
she has had, and she has SO enjoyed hearing from all of you, her ***MOST***
amazing hoard of much-loved, far-flung, wild and wonderful friends and
family.

Many of these I mention are gathering here as I type to wish her yet another
blessed journey, and she will definitely be thinking of all of you, near and
far. (As I write this I realize that neither she nor I have checked her
email for maybe a week or more, so I will do that now and share with her all
your loving communications.)

Love and peace,
Linda



Thank you for sharing in this special time in the Newkirk family.In caring
community,

 

Carol Crow

Patricia's Housemate in Bothell, WA

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