Heaven's Gain is Our Loss

I lost a friend yesterday. I wasn't especially close by physical standards. I never met her in real life, although, I'd argue we knew more about each other's real lives than many who see each other daily. Her name was JoAnn.

I didn't lose this friendship to petty jealousies, or "Real Houswives of Wherever" garbage. I lost this friend to melanoma stage 4 and metastized by the time a correct diagnosis was made. I could rail about the injustice of our health care system, about how she'd known something was wrong for months earlier, blame the doctors and vent up a storm. But MoJo as I teasingly called her--never did that, and so I won't either.

We knew each other through a group of women online... Prairiehomemaker. www.prairiehomemaker.com We bonded over the need to keep Christ our primary focus while recognizing that we often had to leave God at the altar in order to meet Him as we did our daily housework. We worked outside the home, had wonderful kids and great husbands. We chatted while doing laundry, making dinner, etc.

Some would say that Jo wasn't a "real" friend. I'll say that she was there more often than my IRL friends. She helped to moderate a room for Mom's of kids with disabilities. She offered insights into the working of IEP's and other challenges. She helped where she could.

I remember rejoicing with her when her son, daughter and husband were baptized into the faith. I know how she'd longed for that day and worried that due to special needs it might not happen. I know she worried over how they would cope at her death-- would it be more than their faith could handle?

I know that Jo is with God, and she's pain free... but I selfishly wish she'd had more time to chat. One more time to set the timer's and get housework done, and then come back together for a 15 minute conversation... so it isn't for Jo I grieve... but for myself and all of us here who are a little poorer because she's off enriching heaven.