Toward the end of 1919, a young woman set sail for England with her two small children to visit her mother. She was expecting a third child and intended to complete her holiday abroad and return home to Canada before the arrival of the new baby. But the baby girl came early while the young mother was still in England. Half an hour later, saw the arrival of baby Margaret's twin sister Ruth Maree. After an extended stay in England the little family returned to Winnipeg, Canada where the little girls grew up, married and started their own families.
In 1941 Ruth married a young man named Stan. They raised two children together and greeted the arrivals of four grandchildren. In the late 1950's Stan and Ruth moved out west to British Columbia where they lived until Stan died in April of 2002. They had remained best friends for over 60 years and Ruth kept a picture of the two of them taped to the inside cover of her bible.
In 2004, after being diagnosed with breast cancer, Ruth underwent mastectomy surgery. After the death of her twin sister's husband, the twins set up house together in the Lower Mainland, each grateful for the company of the other. Then in the summer of 2006, after seeing the doctor about a pain in one of her arms, Ruth was informed that she again had cancer. This time though, it was in her neck, arm, shoulder, back and later would quickly move to her spine, liver and lungs. The cancer was too advanced, and too spread out for very much hope regarding it's removal, but she went through radiation to slow the growth and was given strong medication for the pain. She kept on until January, just before her 87th birthday. By then, the cancer had progressed enough that she had difficulty even walking and getting about. Finally it was too much for her to even go out to the weekly bible meetings that she loved so dearly. Her sister Margaret cared for her in their home until after a succession of falls, Ruth was admitted to Richmond General Hospital for one week before being moved to a hospice care center, where she stayed two more weeks until she passed from this world February 26th at 7am to be with her savior the Lord Jesus. "...having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:" Philippians 1:23.
So, in this time of sorrow, there is great joy! 'Aunt Ruth' as I came to know and love her, is no longer here in body - in pain and suffering, but is instead, in the blessed presence of our wonderful Creator, Saviour and everlasting Friend! She is indeed in a place that is 'far better'. How could we wish her back here to the misery and suffering that she so patiently and silently endured? We can't, but we will miss her dearly at the same time, and there are those who truly need comfort, sympathy and love at this time.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
