Goodbye, Annette

Today was a sad, sad day. One of our co-workers, Annette Beldon, passed away on February 14th and her funeral was earlier today. The service was beautiful. Her parents, who live in Puerto Rico, read scripture and both her brother and sister gave testimonials. They presented a video celebrating her life that her brother produced. It was a masterpiece that produced tears and smiles.

It was through the testimonials and the video that I learned a lot about Annette that I didn't know. Even though we had worked together on numerous occasions, I didn't really get to know her like I wish I had. Annette was a quiet person with a sweet spirit and a beautiful smile. She had conquered breast cancer years ago, but it returned in the past year. She was a fighter and didn't let the disease stop her. She continued to work through her latest treatments, and I think she continued to play on her tennis team in the early part of last year.

After the funeral, as I was on my way to an appointment, I passed this area. Although it was a dreary, sad day, I stopped and took a few pictures.

In a month or so, this river will be full of people rafting and children playing on the banks. The trees will be in bloom and the sun will be shining. I know I'll think of Annette every time I pass by. One thing I learned from losing Annette is this...We all should stop and get to know our friends just a little bit better. Every one has a story and maybe we should do a lot more listening and a little less talking. At least I should. I will miss Annette and her kind, gentle soul.