An ode to an angel

CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON

“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have

not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who

love Him.”

-- 1 Corinthians 2:9

It was a time when we talked about faith, family, friends and

looked at photographs of a dear loved one. It was a time of sadness

as well as celebration. It was a time of tears due to loss and tears

of joy as we recalled happy memories. Last week was the memorial

service and reception for my great aunt Mary Ann Forbes.

It is hard to describe the service. We sang hymns, heard Bible

readings, said and recited powerful prayers, listened to wonderful

words about an incredible woman, received communion and shared God’s

peace. The service was warm, touching, peaceful and comforting.

Aunt Mary Ann. She was born the day the Titanic sank in April

1912. She was a lovely and gracious lady who brightened our lives

with constant love, joy and hope. She was an amazing woman who made a

positive impact and impression on every person she met. She always

seemed to know just what to say and had a unique gift of making

everybody in the room feel like the most important person in the

world. My cousin Toria summed up what I heard echoed from others: “If

everybody in a room were asked to stand, if he or she felt like they

were Mary Ann’s favorite person, every person would stand up,” she

said.

Mary Ann was interested in anything and everything others were

interested in and never tired of hearing about peoples’ lives. She

spoke positively about everyone and always wore a perfume, a

fragrance I’ll never forget, with a name I can never seem to

remember. She had a deep trust, hope, joy and love of God and loved

praying for others.

On one of my last visits, her daughter Penny told me that she was

asleep, but I could see her. I stroked her hair and quietly said how

much I loved her, and everybody loved her and what a blessing she

was. Before I could say much more, she held my hand, opened her eyes

and asked how I and my family were, and after my answer, she prayed

an amazing and long prayer. She asked God to bless every one of us

and all the future generations. She recited passages from the Bible

with incredible clarity.

“I have lived such a long blessed life,” she said. “I’m anxious to

get to heaven; it will be so wonderful.”

Penny asked if she needed to rest.

“Of course not. I’m only 92, though I may not feel like dancing

later,” she said with a sparkle in her eyes.

Then she proceeded to lift up an arm and show her muscle. A few

days later, she breathed her last breath.

Her daughter, Susan, was inspired by the depth and consistency of

her faith. Daughter Penny said she was an incredible encourager as

well as being her best friend, and her son John was blessed to

witness her incredibly strong and personal relationship with God.

We all miss you Aunt Mary Ann, but we know you are where you

wanted to be, perhaps even singing and dancing in heaven. Thank you

for being such an inspiration. Your modeling and prayers will

continue to impact more people than any of us know.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at

cindy@onthegrow.com or through the mail at 537 Newport Center Drive,

Box 505, Newport Beach, CA 92660.