“Go outside and play with your cousins. You can not come in
unless you are bleeding! As kids we weren’t happy being told to go outside and
play after doing it all day. So we decided to have some fun. We had a whole
bunch of black cherries outside and knew what to do. My we grabbed some black
cherries and smeared them on my cousin Juston’s arm. It looked like he had a
huge gash on his arm then we threw water in his eyes to make it look like he
was crying. We ran around the corner yelling, “Mom!” As my mom and Aunt Paula
looked outside, my Mom screamed and started to run around. My Aunt Paula on the
other hand looked at us kids, and yelled to my mom, “Jennifer, they are faking
it!”
It was hard to get anything past Aunt Paula. She cracked me
up that day as us kids could not fool her like we did my mom. Aunt Paula was
amazing. She was someone that was always an absolute joy to be around. She was
never afraid to tell her opinion honestly and the majority of the time was
right on the mark with what she said. For the past couple of years she battled
cancer like a champ. She never gave up even after it looked impossible to come
back from. She was a fighter.
My mom told me we needed to get up and see her a couple of
weeks ago. We listened to my mom and went up there. We got to visit with Aunt
Paula for her third of five kids high school graduation. It was a great time.
She was a fighter to the end. Before we left Traverse City, we swung by the
hospital to visit her. We knew it would most likely be the last time we would
see her on this side of heaven. As we were saying what would be our final
goodbyes, she said, “This isn’t a final good bye, I will look forward to see
you at Dirtball (Our huge family camping trip) next month.” So instead of
saying good-bye, I said, “Seeya later Aunt Paula.” It was the last time I saw
Aunt Paula.
She fought cancer boldly. She never gave up and gave it her
all. Long after they told her she would pass away she kept on fighting till the
very end. It makes me think of a Bible verse from Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you
rest.” Aunt Paula you were a great wife, mother, grandmother,
friend and aunt. You will truly be missed by everyone who was blessed by having
your presence in their lives. I love you and will miss you so much. Rest in
Peace.
