Today is day two without my best friend. I can’t imagine her not in my life. I first met Wendy at the church I was going to. She had just gotten married. We hung out in the same circles and went to the same Bible study. I was in my early twenties when I met her and from the moment I met her I really liked her. She was funny and had the greatest laugh. She was good at everything she did. I loved her heart and she loved the Lord. I got to know Wendy and her oldest daughter first. My husband and I would go over to their home and play cards and board games. We did that for so many years. I was there for the birth of her second daughter. We went to rabbit shows and she taught me all about breeding rabbits and she was the person I reached out to when I needed rabbit advice. I built a rabbit business with her help.
Wendy had many good friends and we all went camping to Tofino, trips to Jesus Northwest, Oregon, Seattle and our favorite local trip to Parksville and Coombs. I don’t remember how many years the 4 of us did that but we went ever summer. We had a messenger group it was called the Fantastic four. We did everything together. In the earlier days we did Survivor parties, murder mystery nights, dinners and building traditions. Thanksgiving was always our big meal that we did at another friends home. Games nights and Wendy was good she always beat us especially at Dutch Blitz.
Wendy lived life to the fullest even when she got sick. We were all amazed at how how her faith got stronger and stronger and she fought right until the end. She did not let cancer define who she was and like her we all believed that God would heal her. We saw lots of amazing things God did and how He used Wendy in healing and building her faith in others. It was hard to watch her as she got sicker but Wendy had the best outlook on everything. She’s the most positive person when we as her friends struggled.
Wendy loved roses and even got roses to grow that had been thrown out at the store. She took it home and nurtured it and it grew into the most beautiful rose. I think of that as how God sees us. We may think that we have nothing going us and God takes us in and with His love we grow into beautiful people. Not just with people but love works with roses as well. Wendy was proof of that. Wendy made her patio into a sanctuary for her among her roses. It brought her such peace and joy.
This past July we got to go back to Coombs the four of us. Wendy had a hard time but she Managed to get through the day and we had so much fun laughing and hanging out. She told me that she was so glad she went and didn’t let not feeling well stop her from going. She even had an ice-cream because that was what she’d always done when she went there. We took our last photos of the four of us. At Thanksgiving Wendy and I drove up to another friends home and had the best Thanksgiving dinner with so many of our friends and their families. It was such a great evening and Wendy was in such good form. We never knew that, that would be the last time the Fantastic four would be together. We will always be that even though we are missing one.
The craziest thing is the day before Wendy died she was sending us messages trying to organize a ride so she could go back home. Wendy for months on end was so at peace with all that was happening and right until the end she went quickly. I have no idea how to live my life without her because she was part of it all. I’m so glad she’s up in heaven with the Lord. I imagined the trumpets playing and the grand party she got when she entered heaven.
For us down here we will all have to band together. Life will not be the same without her. She was my best friend and I’m so honoured that I got to spend so much time with her and her family. Until we met again girl. I love you ❤️
Beauty from Ashes. 