Dear Family,
I called the Cherry home and had a chance to speak with Sue, Penny's dear friend and next-door neighbor. She told me the most amazing story about Penny's "pizza party" last night. I had to share as many of the details with you as I can remember, because they are every whit exemplary of Penny's loving nature and joyful spirit.
Yesterday Penny was feeling a bit better and asked Tracy to call as many as possible and invite them to join her in her hospital room that evening for a pizza party. Penny listed what she would most like to have, so Sue purchased 5 pizzas (sausage/ pepperoni/ mushroom pizza and tomato & basil pizza), ice cream, and pumpkin pie. They even had balloons! Sue brought plates, cups and "Happy Birthday" napkins, because they wanted to think of it as celebrating a "new birth." When Sue arrived with the pizzas, Penny asked, "Did you bring any dominoes?" (It's probably just as well that Sue hadn't, because the last thing Nikki & I did with Penny before driving off to Costa Mesa was play "Spinner" dominoes with her, Kristi and Christy. Penny finished with a perfect score of "0" -- So how do you top that?)
The room was crowded with at least 20 family members, grandkids and friends. Mike & Natalie flew in, Tracy was there with her babies, Kristi & Jason drove up with their children, and Steve's sisters Donna, Kathy, and Becky came. Sue & Jerry and their daughter Alicia were there, as well as Sue's parents. There were lots of phone calls made. The hospital set up a "poly com" line for Penny so that she could speak to family and friends on a speaker phone. They even called Ecuador and talked briefly with their good friends Lynn & Almadon Shurtleff.
Penny asked for some Primary songs, so Kristi & Tracy sang and Penny joined in, singing "I Am a Child of God." Then in honor of Mom/Grammy, they all sang "I Love You, a Bushel and a Peck," and then Steve started singing "You Are My Sunshine" with nearly everyone joining in. Allie & Ben put on a little performance for their Grandma, singing a couple of songs, including a cute Halloween number. Penny spoke with each visitor directly, sharing her feelings of love for them, and--as you can imagine--she had lots of hugs and kisses for all the babies. Everyone shared fun stories and memories, and Penny even related one of her "most embarrassing moments" from high school (involving a Sponsors inspection and a famous slip on the ice in front of a chemistry class window).
What could be more genuinely "Penny" than to have such a delightful gathering of family and friends filled with songs, laughter, smiles, ice cream, and expressions of love all around!
After speaking with Sue, I spent a little while visiting with Kristi and she related some very precious stories of this morning spent with just parents and siblings together. I can't begin to relate them all here, but there are a few I'm sure you would like to know. Penny would frequently doze off, and before coming to, she would giggle. The immediate family members who were able to be there gathered around her bed for a family prayer, and as soon as it was said, Penny began to giggle, opened her eyes and exclaimed, "Now that's an image I don't want to share!" and everyone broke into laughter. What was the image? Well, that remains to be discovered in the next life...
Penny told her husband and her children, "I feel so at peace, so happy." She told Steve, "I don't think I could ever love you enough" and "I'm so glad I share your name." Then as her strength was fading, and she was dozing off, she opened her eyes, and one of the last things she uttered was, "It's Wonderful!"
Like you, I honor this amazing woman who has shown us how to exit this life with joy, dignity, and grace, and has helped us to understand that the transition into the next world can be filled with calm delight.
Much love,
Tracy
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