MY NEW ANGEL, DIXIE

    Ever since I was a small girl my parents instilled in me the core belief that it is good to give back to God in gratitude for what God has given to me. I have done this in varying ways and have been blessed in meeting and becoming friends with so many people because of my volunteer activities. One of my dearest friends is a mother of a child who was on the swim team I coached and our friendship has grown and blossomed over the past 20+ years. So two years ago when I was looking for another volunteer opportunity I was guided to Bessie's Hope in Denver, which is an organization who matches volunteers with people in nursing homes. It was through them that I met Dixie. She was a sweet older lady (somewhere in her 80's I believe) who had been in the nursing home since her parents had died almost 15 years before. Because she had cerebral palsy and her brother could not care for her, she was placed in a facility for brain injury victims. It was sadly not the place for her, for her disability was completely physical and her mental capacity was better than mine.

    Every other week for almost 2 years (except for the months I was in Florida) I visited Dixie. Sometime I would come and play bingo with her, or listen to a visiting musician, but most often we just talked, and for her that seemed enough. She knew all about my family, my pets, my friends, my work, everything about my life. She loved hearing about what I was doing, especially when I played golf as that had been one of her favorite hobbies when she was younger. I learned about her life and knew that she had been married with two sons and that her husband had divorced her, left her almost penniless and taken her sons from her. She wasn't even sure where the boys lived anymore. Sad as her life was, she always had a smile on her face and a kind word to say for she was a true believer in God and read her bible regularly. She was encouraging, honest and loving, and most of all she was grateful. I would bring her flowers occasionally which she loved and once, after she'd shown me an old, raggedy purse she carried, I brought her a new purse. You'd think I'd given her a mansion with the way she went on and on about the gift for weeks afterwards. She was truly a dear, sweet, gentle woman.

    Dixie died yesterday. While eating breakfast she choked on her food and they were never able to revive her. Even though I did not know her for long and did not know her well, she made a profound impression on me and I will truly miss our visits. Tomorrow I was going to go hang out with her in the garden and right now I feel the pang of sadness for that lose. But I know Dixie is happier than she's been in years. She's hanging out with her parents, catching up with her friends who have gone before her and smiling down at all of us on earth, whispering encouragements in our ears and telling us to keep enjoying the adventure of life. I am truly blessed to have known Dixie and I look forward to her hanging around as another one of my guardian angels. I can never have too many. Thanks Dixie!