a friend’s anniversary letter

I received this letter… and it’s too sweet to not share with you.
I console myself with this letter — that perhaps one day I will
have a mind to write such a letter. I loved his wife, Florence, even
giving our last baby, our daughter Amelia her name as a middle name…
and I added “Joy” to it because Florence brought me great joy and encouragement.
Amelia bears the name well… as she does for the other woman she’s named after.
Although, I never called Mrs. Pais: Amelia, it was, in fact, her name.

Paul Turnidge writes:

Hello All, and a blessed year ahead.

A year ago today, Florence began a new day in Heaven. By this time she
has joined with Peter, James and John, with Lydia, Mary and all the
friends that have gone there ahead of her. I’m sure she has probably
gotten the gals together and said, “Let’s start a Sisterhood.”

Every day I praise the Lord that she is in Heaven enjoying herself rather
than having to be in a nursing home, sitting in a wheel chair wondering
why she can’t get it going.

Somebody sent me the following prayer:

THE SENILITY PRAYER :
Grant me the senility to forget the people
I never liked anyway,
The good fortune to run into the ones I do, and
The eyesight to tell the difference.

My biggest problem is that I can’t think of anybody I don’t like and my
eyesight is so bad I couldn’t tell the difference anyway.

Hope you’re finding this an encouraging year, and it’s wonderful to know
the Lord never leaves or forsakes us. (Hebrews 13:5)

God bless you all,

Paul