Losing Aunt Dorothy

Dorothy Lumpkin Wier was my only aunt. To me she represented a strong woman who could out think, out wit and overcome any obstacle. Fall of 1994 I was told she had pancreatic cancer and that her chances of survival were not good. In fact I was told that she was not going to survive.

After I recovered from the initial shock I began to imagine life without her. In the beginning I went through a long phase of denial that fooled me into thinking she would overcome. Reality set in however when I visited her in March and saw she had lost over 90 pounds. Dorothy no longer seemed invincible.

Almost three weeks went by before my final visit and she was worse off than I could have imagined. I took a seat beside her bed with my brother as we held her hand and said “I love you”. Her friend told us she wanted to see use before she died. As we were there she breathed a sigh of relief and gratitude and took her final breath.

My first reaction was denial. I did not want to believe she was gone from my life; nor could I understand why God had to take her. After I cried I began to realize that her suffering was over and that she was finally at peace. Her pain and agony was over and she was with her father, brother and mother in heaven.

It was torture watching her dwindle down to an almost skeleton. Dorothy was a big woman over six feet tall her weight was proportionate to her height. When she finally died she weighed less than 110 pounds. The sight of her crushed me completely.

Although there are moments when I am upset with God for taking her before I was ready to let go I know that she is in my heart and I will see her again. Dorothy touched my heart and soul in ways that have not been matched and I will always cherish our time together.