The Passing of a Child of God

Monday, August 15, 2005

Yes, Saturday had been quite a piece of fun. Mom and Collette had just made it inside the van on the parking lot by the river before the deluge hit. And nearly only the street lamps could be seen through the gully washer along the boardwalk, the rain was so intense. And on Sunday, the day was gray all throughout, which provided for another cancellation of the hymn-sing and ice cream social. So instead, a good many of the youth gathered for a movie at the church property and for coffee afterward. Although Collette got her usual strawberry smoothie instead of the coffee.

It was at 8:40 or so that morning that OLeif called for Collette, who had just begun tutoring the first math lesson of the day. Mrs. Pretzel had passed away at 7:45 that same morning. She was with Jesus and she was out of her suffering forever.

Collette ran around throughout her tutoring that day as the rain fell, picking up OLeif, to the bank to sign loan papers, the grocery store with OLeif, coming back in the evening to see Diana briefly while Carrie highlighted her hair for the new school year… Collette ordered the Pretzel family a vase of red lilies and blue iris, eucalyptus, and grains with a note from herself and OLeif which read:

Thank you so much for your friendship.
Our prayers for your peace and God’s
presence is with you. We love you.

It was a strange sort of day. The rain never stopped falling, and that night it came down hard.