JanBeek

My heart is heavy.
God answered my fervent prayer.
So why am I sad?

My cousin, Cliff, died.
I received the news today:
God answered my prayer.

I prayed for freedom –
Freedom from this earthy pain.
Our God is faithful.

His family gathered;
All his loved ones surrounded,
And God took him home.

God of Great Mercy,
Thank you for answering prayer.
Now, heal my heart’s hole!

Cliff & Janine
with their two daughters
and sons-in-law,
two sons,
daughter-in-law,
and three grandsons

Cliff and Janine are two of my favorite people in the world!
And now Cliff has left this world…
but he lives on in the hearts of all of us who will always love him.

Janine’s mom is my second cousin, Betty.
Her mom was my mom’s oldest sister’s oldest daughter.

That sounds rather confusing and maybe like a “distant relative”… but there is nothing distant about my relationship with Janine. I was twelve when my family drove from California to Washington to visit mom’s family near Seattle in Issaquah…
and to meet Aunt Evelyn’s first grandchild.

Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Hans were my first connection to the land of Switzerland which claimed our daughter DeAna about two dozen years later! Uncle Hans immigrated from the German part of Switzerland to the state of Washington. Their daughter, my cousin, Betty, with her husband, Nick, lived right across the alleyway from her parents. Knowing we were there, she came over with her new baby, Janine. You know my name in JAN – and so I immediately claimed JANine as my own!!

I was there for Cliff and Janine’s wedding. I claim Cliff as my cousin, too!

Cliff was “Opa” to his three grandsons.
A more doting and loving grandfather never graced this earth!
I am so sad that those three boys will not have
the presence of the Opa as they grow into adulthood.
And the youngest one is too little
to have lasting memories of him.
It makes me cry!

Cliff was a robust man
– a former University of Washington champion rower –
weighing over 200 pounds most of his adult life.
Cancer and the chemo treatments
wasted away his body and took away his strength
– and eventually his life.
But his spirit lives on.

He’ll remain strong and robust forever
in all of us who knew and loved him.

We are a vast array of Cliff-Dwellers!

God bless you, my Word Press family.
Thank you for praying for my cousin, JANine, and her family.
See ya tomorrow.
JanBeek