Ode to Dottie

This is a not very flattering picture of my Cousin Dottie. It is a good picture of my son-in-law Marty. Both of them smile a lot more than this!

At any rate, my cousin Dottie, was one of my best lifelong friends. She was maybe five years older than I and a whole lot wiser.

This is the way I like to think of us....sharing coffee and encouragement.

(I am using the pictures in my overflow box.....not wanting to rip them out of my scrapbook.)

I did see lots more pictures of family and friends I have put aside to use in future blogs....be afraid...be very afraid family and friends.)

Dottie's Mother, my Aunt Monie, and my mother were good friends. I never thought of them as sisters-in-law until this very minute. Our family went to their house at Christmas. They came to our house.

Mother, Aunt Monie, and Dottie were excellent knitters and shared patterns etc... Dottie asked me to be a junior bridesmaid in her wedding. I was about 12 and a real pain she told me much, much later. But I appreciate the fact she wanted me to be in her wedding.

Her first child, Cathy, was exposed to rubella while Dottie was pregnant and teaching school. She has cerebral palsy as a result. Dottie took hr to the Institute for Brain Injuries in Media, Pa. and followed their prescription for patterning Cathy. Later, when my son Todd developed a brain injury following an infection he got in the hospital shortly after birth; we took him to the Institute and patterned him as well.

Dottie and husband Dave went on to have two more children, Beth and John whose pictures I scanned and went into cyberspace. Their family would stop by to visit ours on their way to Florida. We would visit them when we were at my parents' home in Washington, DC.

Somewhere along the line....we both became Christians which deepened our bond even more. She got colon cancer and became a cancer survivor. They moved to Salisbury, Md, and built a beautiful home. We visited there; they came here to SC.

The cancer returned and two years ago Dottie died. We had been there for Thanksgiving a few month's earlier. She knew the days were dwindling. She was "ready to go" but hated to leave her children and grandchildren. The year before she died God told her he was giving her a "season of health". In that time she got Cathy settled in a group home. She personally painted her room in her favorite colors. Got her all set up with her computer, TV, etc...

Dottie, you were an inspiration to me all my life and continue to be one even in death. You kept the faith; you did not falter though many obstacles came your way. It comforts me to think of you, your Mom and my Mom knitting away in heaven. Your Dad and my Dad finally getting quality time together. So save a place for me, girlfriend, I'll be along when God sees fit and we'll talk over what has happened since we last saw each other.

Love,

Donna