You'll Never Walk Alone

Why, You'll Never Walk Alone? Well many years ago in my life when I thought my world was coming to an end, before it really had began, my dearest friend, who also played stringbass with me in the high school orchestra, as I was standing one day teary eyed, drew my attention to the music we were playing, it was "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Rogers and Hammerstein's musical "Carousel", when she said, "Listen to the music Raenell, that is your song."

And it has been though out the years as trying times have come into my life. I have had the blessing of not having to "Walk Alone". As these times have entered in my life, there has always been a special friend, my wonderful family, or and most important my Savior walking with me. Of course I know it was my Heavenly Father that gave me my friends and family to help me.

One of these special friends' name is Paul Cold. After being a widow for fourteen years I was about to become the only one left at home. Children do grow up! The phone rang one day it was a stranger. It was a guy named Paul Cold. We had a long time on the phone and decided to meet.

When he came to my door, I opened it and saw my "best friend" and his wonderful smile. And as they say "the rest is history". A few months later following in love, we married.

Over the next few years we had great times sharing our families, traveling, camping, serving in our church calls and trying times. During those hard times, grandchildren with critical health problems, death of both of my parents, brother-in-law and a niece, he Walked With Me.

In the past two and a half years my dear friend and husband has been gone. He has been a resident of an assistant living care center with Alzheimer a degenerative brain disease. I have been watching him slowly loosing his ability to care for himself as he has he became more and more confused. Though his sweet spirit has hung on even in the confusion.

He has now rich the stage where he needs much more complete care and must be moved to a group home that is capable of providing for his special needs.

I was told a week ago that he now is qualified for Hospice Care. This means that he is expected not to live longer than six more months. Over the past few years (as we were aware he had Alzheimer for some time before he entered the care center) I have been able to cope fairly well.
Now that he has reach this stage, I realize that I am entering an other one of "those times".
And I am needing to remember my dear friend of my youth and her advise of many years ago.

While reading the handbook that Hospice of the Valley gave me last week I found the advice of keeping a dairy that I might share with the family. As I thought of this I felt that this could be a real help to me and a way I can share with my friends and our families this "trying time".

It is my hope that as I try to keep you informed and share with you this time it will help you and me to not Walk Alone.