Then Life Goes On

I haven't disappeared - just had the wind knocked out of me first thing this week. Miss Jozia was so full of life and passion and joy, that to think about that life and passion and joy not being in the world anymore was a difficult thing to comprehend.

To know that this firecracker isn't stealing the show any more down in St. Petersburg is simply taking time to process.

Yesterday, it made me think of Jesus' disciples. (Of course, I'm in no way comparing the two people - just the situation in a VERY loose sense). One day, they are watching their Master and their Lord being celebrated as palm branches are thrown down before Him. A week later, He has been crucified. And they had no idea it was coming. Now THAT is truly seeing life and passion and joy being taken out of the world. Can you imagine the heartache and the shock and the overwhelming despair that those men and women felt? They didn't truly understand what was happening, and couldn't understand yet that their Lord and Master was truly to be alive forever. But for those 3 days and nights, they were hardly able to eat or sleep, I daresay. Couldn't think of or talk of anything else, I can imagine. And the absolute loss of spirit in their heart had to be so painful. Truly, physically painful. And, still, nothing like the despair and pain that Jesus Christ had to suffer in order to finish His work on earth.

But, back to Miss Jozia - I was able to talk to one of her long time friends last night, on my way to church. (KD - I'll call you with those details as soon as I get things "under control" at the house this morning). Oh, it was SO nice to talk to someone with that Pennsylvania accent. It was so nice to hear someone get bossy with me, even though she didn't know me from Adam's cat - but because I loved Jozia too, she knew it was okay to be "normal".

It was so nice to hear "and" pronounced that way again. Aahnd. I was right back in that huge ballet studio up at the W, having her poke her finger into my po-po, and then right into my stomach. Because of neither of them were tucked in appropriately for Miss Jozia!

Oh, and if any of you are wondering how to say her name - it's "you-sha". Well, technically, it's "you-zha", but she let all us southern folks say "you-sha".

Anyway, life has continued here - the master bedroom has been painted. The kitchen has been primed. And kitchen painting will resume after our church meeting this weekend and Singing School next week. Swimming lessons continue, and, well, life continues. I have a blog I need to do about Jim and Brittany's wonderful wedding last weekend. Pictures to post. But, for now, I need to leave my thoughts about Miss Jozia a little while longer. Her passing was too unexpected, and this helps. For some odd reason.

Sweet Jozia - there are so many who yearn to see her just one last time. But her life was well lived, and she was well loved.

Back to our regularly scheduled blogging in the near future.