Emotionally Exhausted

This Christmas was definitely a bittersweet one. My sister-in-laws mother passed away Christmas morning. It was hard to let her go and to know that we would not be spending anymore holidays with her on this earth. The sweet part is she passed on her favorite holiday, she went to celebrate Jesus's birthday with Him, & she is no longer suffering from this horrible disease. She was a fighter for 13 years and she was determined to keep her promise of making it for one more Christmas. She was in bed rest for the last 6 months or so and I know how badly she wanted out of that bed. It brings a smile to my face to know that she is now in heaven running along side her Heavenly Father. What a tough few days it has been and I don't think it has fully set in that she is gone. I went to her house the day after Christmas and it was so quiet without the sound of her laughter. She treated my brother and I like we were her own children and loved us to pieces. She was a wonderful mother who was always there for her baby girl and what a beautiful wife she was also. It brings us such hope and joy to know that she is not suffering anymore and that she is in the arms of our Lord. This is not goodbye but a we will see you soon. I can't imagine not having this hope, joy, and comfort which only our Lord can bring. She made me make her several promises like, I will graduate from college and not let anything stand in my way (she told me I would make a great teacher), to be the best aunt that I could possible be and spoil my nieces and nephews rotten, that I will not let her grand babies forget who she is, to take care of her daughter, and that I will not let what everyone else wants for me stand in the way of my own happiness. It is crazy to think I have known her since I was 8 years old. Gosh I am going to miss her like crazy, but I will make sure we never forget her and that her grand babies won't also. Thank you God for giving us the honor and privilege of knowing such a beautiful woman, what a blessing she was to so many!