My Best Friend

This is the eulogy I gave at my best friend's funeral. I have been thinking about her a lot lately. We had such good times together. I miss her so much. The picture above is of us walking on the East Shore of THE Great Lake - Superior of course.

JANET

When we were young, Janet and I would be running down the sidewalk and of course she was always ahead of me. She wouldn’t even look back she would just stick that hand out so I could grab on and sure enough we would fly down that sidewalk on Emerson Street faster than I ever could on my own.

For years we worked as Red Cross volunteers. Collecting toothbrushes and soap for friendship boxes, working in the office with Mrs. Fordney, going to the bus station to see the young men off who were drafted for the Vietnam War, some of them not wanting to go at all. We learned the importance of completing projects, showing compassion to others and volunteering our time.

All of us tried to live up to Janet’s expectations. Whether it was running down Devil’s Slide, keeping up with her on a bike ride or cooking something that would bring a smile to her face. We would stay up half the night studying for Mr. Agresta’s history exams. She would be so proud of me when I could answer any question from the chapters we were studying and then we would get into class and I would look at those stupid fill in the blank tests and couldn’t remember who Romulus and Remus actually were. We would walk out of that exam and she would say “We studied all the right pages… you must have done great this time!” One look at me and she wouldn’t say a word but she would roll her eyes and we would laugh.

In the past, when Janet became ill some people thought she wouldn’t get better, but they just didn’t know her. Janet and Rod and Patrick didn’t “fight” the cancer. They lived through it. There wasn’t complaining or whining instead the medications, the trips to the hospital, the chemo, losing her hair, just became part of their days. Her family, students and friends learned to expect Janet to recover.

Just a few weeks ago, Janet knew she was making her last trip to Grand Marais. It was her determination and stubborn pride that got her there and back home safely. Her family let me come into their home during a very private time in their lives and shared that last week with me. It was an honor to be able to care for her.

Imagine watching a gorgeous sunset on Lake Superior after a long walk on East Shore where the waves are pounding the beach. Agates scattered here and there… just enough so you can find them when you really look but not so many that it is an easy pick. Sand Dunes, the lighthouse and birch tree forests and when you turn around… Mountains… Yes, Mountains as in Rocky Mountains… Mountains capped with fresh white snow with waterfalls cascading from the top. Rock formations with wildflowers blowing in the clean crisp Montana air.

Heaven……… Janet’s Heaven… Imagine if God has waited patiently for Janet to get to Heaven all these years so a small corner of Heaven could be transformed… How pleased God must be to have Janet in Heaven.

I told her that last week she was going first and when my time comes I asked her to hold her hand out to me so I can join her because I can’t imagine a more glorious place to be than Janet’s Heaven.