Saying Goodbye to a Dear Friend

We said good bye to Sister Sharon yesterday. She will be missed.

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is 12 years old. The photo was taken shortly after Sister Sharon and I were grouped together as "Sister Friends." I'm not sure that either of us knew what to expect, but I can tell you now, that as I look back, we sure had a lot of fun being "Sister Friends."

Sister Sharon was a proud member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The SSND's are a teaching order of Catholic Nuns. Sister Sharon had been a teacher and tutor in her "active" years. (I learned later, that, at the Mother House, where the sisters retire, they are often more active in their later years than any of us could imagine!) When the mission of "Sister Friends" was announced, I decided it was time to become more active in the community. I attended the first meeting of Sister Friends where the "less active," retired nuns were paired with a member of the community. Sister Sharon and I were paired together, and we hit it off immediately!

While she was still active, we went to lunch, we visited various locations in the area, we attended Sister Friends activities together. I would actually get tired because this "less active," retired nun would wear me out!

Slowly, Sister Sharon's health began to deteriorate. She was confined to her chair and bed, but she loved to read! I'd bring her books to read. When she finished the books, we'd talk about them and then she'd ask me to give them to the older nuns so they could enjoy them. We weren't able to go out anymore, but we still had a great time discussing different topics whether it be books, our shared faith, or her beloved family.

Last Tuesday, Sister Sharon died. We buried her yesterday. I cried.