Pray for Aunt Sandy

Aunt Sandy is not my real aunt. She is my mom's best friend, so we grew up calling her "Aunt". About 4 years ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and after chemo and several trips to Germany for medical consults with doctors, it seems there is nothing left that can be done medically to help her.

Sandy and my mom became friends in elementary school, went to college together and ironically, Uncle Jim and my Dad went to high school and college together, too, where they eventually met these two ladies. They entered and served in the navy together while Aunt Sandy and Mom stayed back home. The pictures these two have during those days are hilarious! Once, they conducted a fashion show and took pictures of themselves to send to their husbands in the Philippines!! They were definitely partners in crime during this time. I remember Aunt Sandy saying once that my sister, Dayna, was like their real, live baby doll because it was always the three of them and they would just play with Dayna and take turns dressing her! Growing up, it was always so much fun when Aunt Sandy came to visit or when we'd go visit with her family. She has beautiful blonde hair and I remember always thinking she was so pretty! She was a cosmetologist, so she'd always do our hair when we'd see her and she and my mom would spend so much time laughing and reminiscing together.

She and her husband, Uncle Jim, counsel ministry couples who are in crisis, in Greenville, SC. At one time, they were living and running their ministry in Agnes Moorehead's (Andorra on Bewitched) old house in Ohio. I remember one summer Dolly and I went to spend a few days with them and she took us to the local college to go through Agnes Moorhead's old belongings. We were led to this room and given free reign to look through old boxes of movie scripts, TV memorabilia and even hold the Emmy award she received! How cool! On that trip, Aunt Sandy even showed me how not be afraid to ask to speak to the manager of a store or ask for a clerk's name if the customer service you receive is not good--every time I do it, I think of her:)

She was there for one of my "crazy bride breakdowns" the summer before my wedding. I think I was crying because....well I'm not going to say because it sounds really bratty, but she gave me a good pep-talk on the gazebo and told me to take a deep breath and I remember feeling better because of it.

It's hard to think that she could be gone soon. She's still so young. I haven't seen her since Dolly's wedding, but I will always remember her as a beautiful blonde with perfect makeup and perfectly outlined lips, smelling like fresh perfume, having beautiful long, skinny fingers--always with a fresh coat of nail polish--wearing that ruby and gold pinkie ring she wears and talking and describing things with her hands in a dramatic fashion.

If you think about it, please pray for my Aunt Sandy--that she will be comfortable during this time and at peace. And please pray for strength for her husband, Jim, and their son, Jonathan, too.

**Here is her caringbridge site if you would like to keep up with her. Click here.