This tribute/thank you to Judy was given to her during her very last days.
Dear Cuz, or Hey, Jude!
You are such a remarkable woman, and have been such a wonderful and interesting friend. Your wonderful qualities are beautifully meshed in you.
You are kind. I have never seen or heard you be unkind to anyone, ever. You are welcoming to all, friendly to new people and old friends. You often see what is needed, sometimes before the person sees it themselves. And in helping this need, you are quiet and unobtrusive, never seeking attention for yourself.
You are organized. And you know how to organize whole things (like the church kitchen and the funny closet that has all the supplies for making centerpieces, candles, etc.!) and events (Senior Luncheons come to mind.) The Chamisa Volunteer program, for example. That was huge. You and Amy worked terrifically as a team, and you included so many people. You helped so much with the cleanup after Chamisa's Famous Fire.
I'll bet you helped with the annual Halloween Haunted House, too. If not in the building of it, I can picture you standing just outside the "exit", reassuring the terrified kids who came out, and laughing with the ones who loved it.
You are patient. You have a deep sensitivity for the very elderly, and you can listen with patience, walk with them with patience, and your compassion is so deeply felt by them.
And you are a superb Nursery helper! Holding those babies, playing with the toddlers, joyfully attending to all the big and little needs. Patiently helping little ones to settle, and patiently listening to parents whose kids may have been difficult.
And speaking of patience, how many dogs have you adopted and trained? You have a few stories to tell, but all of them show how loving and patient you are with them. (emphasis on LOVING.)
And while patience is the topic, what about the endless hours you spent on the side of the soccer field, watching, encouraging, patiently waiting for the game to unfold. And of course, you were there in an instant if there was an injury. We all trusted your judgment if ours was the kid who had been hurt.
You are an amazing nurse. One of my most vivid – and grateful – memories of you involves a person we both know, the Hospital OR, and the OR nurse (you) who was thankfully someone who our friend knew. Our friend had had his gall bladder out, and in the recovery room became pretty restless and pretty unreasonable. Combative even. In your beautiful calm and clear way, you reassured our friend, explained the purpose of the TENS unit, and slowly and gracefully turned things around. I knew our friend was in masterful hands! But it was your heart in it that I remember best.
One day, you showed up at Bethlehem.. I was so happy to see you! You wanted to just slip in without any fanfare, and that has pretty much been how you have been all these years: totally present, and totally a helper and server! Your gift of organization, coupled with your eye for beauty, and your graciousness as a hostess has made a difference in so many receptions, so many times when food was served for any reason, so many times when people needed a bit of direction, greeting, listening, or comfort. You were the hands behind the setup, the serving, and the cleanup. Your places seemed reserved for you behind the coffee bar, in the kitchen, in the nursery, in the offering counting room, in the ushers place in the back. You did not want to be noticed or acknowledged. You were ever-ready for whatever the day presented!
So, for all those times and all those years, Judy, Thank you. You are and have always been, Blessed to be a Blessing. You have touched so many lives with your loving presence.
And then there is the family connection. I loved the way you paid attention to your Dad, being sure to drive to North Dakota on a regular basis, and happy when he came down to visit here. I don’t think I knew your Mom, or any other extended family members until very recently, when I met your brother David and your sister, Linda, but you were so loving to all of your family, keeping in touch and paying attention. When your sons David and Jonathan married, you were so happy for them. And when you became a grandmother, WOW!, THAT was when you were willing to carry photos to share. Your joy in your family is a treasure and a visible joy for you! How wonderful that your grandchildren know you and you them.
I am going to miss you, Judy, but I know that someday there will be a great Family Reunion in the sky and we will see all of this with a knowledge that passes all understanding.
Go in Peace, dear friend, knowing that you leave having beautifully touched so many lives, and that you made a permanent, wonderful difference by the way you loved the people you shared this world with.
