FireWoman, Native American...My Best Friend

[Guest guest]

I don't know how to share the pain of my best friend 74 years old who

is passing on to the next journey. I have known her since 1991 where

I met her at a Pow Wow. She and I became very close and FireWoman or

her White name (Jackie) has been ill for about 2 and a half years.

Kept going to the doctor. In November I believe she was told she had

colin and kidey cancer too far gone to treat. How can the Doctors

miss that in more than two years? Wow.

I was in the hospital myself at the time and didn't know this was

happening. January 2nd, I went to her store in Rockport, MA to say

HI, Happy New Year and was told she broke her Feimer Bone on

Christmas Day. So I went to the nursing home she was in to visit,

not knowing she had cancer. I walked into the room and she said Kim,

I have cancer. I was going to visit about a broken bone.

Anyway they gave her perhaps 6 months to live but told her adult

children 1 month. So, I too have for the first time in my life a

close person to me that is passing onto the next journey.

FireWoman, is a Tribial Mother...She Adopted me into her family back

in 1992. She is like my second Mom. I have learned so much of her

culture and Native American Beliefs. She is one of my oldest friends.

My Dad Was Air Force for 30 years so I traveled all my life and never

got any roots so to speak. I am single. FireWoman is going really

fast now. No vistors. She can not speak now and they have taken her

off o2. She is at home with hospice.

I am White. Not Native American...our connection was from the

Creator. I have done the Pow Wow trail with her for many summers and

springs and autumns. She is my spirit teacher. I was able to see her

on Friday for about 40 minutes. It was a blessing to be able to do

that. I sang native american songs to her, told stories about us,

had her squeeze my hand for YES answers.

I can not imagine life without FireWoman in it.

So Now I can really relate to all of you who have losted a loved one

or they are very ill. This is my first time. I am not even sure as

I write if she made it through the night? Her family will not let me

come anymore to visit. So, I am remembering how wonderful our last

visit was on Friday. I know she was happy I was there. They say I

was the last person she spoke to. She only said two different

sentences. But she talked softly to me. And she communited to me a

lot with spueeze of my hand. There will be a huge Celabration of

Live for her when she passes. Perhaps 1,000 people will be there.

She is a Tribal Mother.

Very Powerful and Wise.

When I had known her for 2 and 1/2 years she honored me with a Native

Name. Kim will be called " True Spirit Woman " . I didn't like it.

I wanted to be Coming Thunder, or Night Hawk, something powerful.

Funny. EGO....edging God out.

I don't post so long , I am very upset and trying my best to go with

what the Creator wants for FireWoman. It is so hard to let go.

Thank you for reading. I am not doing very well with taking care of

my MITO and Stroke health with this going on. Forgeting to take

meds,etc. So for today, I will call and see if she is still with

us, and ask how the family is doing. And try better to take care of

myself. I know if FireWoman knew I was not taking care of myself,

she would really be on me.

The next journey is a part of life. I know this. Peace to all of

you. And Thank You for letting me vent and share my pain.

KimGo'sWithFeathers, Kim Michele AHO!!!!

[Guest guest]

Kim,

I'm sorry that you are losing such a good friend and experiencing

the grief that goes with such a loss. I hope you find some comfort

in knowing that your friend's suffering is coming to an end. You

will always have those special memories of your friendship which

will keep her close to your heart.

I'll say a prayer for you in hopes that it will ease you through

this difficult time. Thank you for sharing some of those memories

with us. FireWoman must have been one very special lady.

Hugs,

Maggie

> I don't know how to share the pain of my best friend 74 years old

who

> is passing on to the next journey. I have known her since 1991

where

> I met her at a Pow Wow. She and I became very close and FireWoman

or

> her White name (Jackie) has been ill for about 2 and a half

years.

> Kept going to the doctor. In November I believe she was told she

had

> colin and kidey cancer too far gone to treat. How can the Doctors

> miss that in more than two years? Wow.

>

> I was in the hospital myself at the time and didn't know this was

> happening. January 2nd, I went to her store in Rockport, MA to say

> HI, Happy New Year and was told she broke her Feimer Bone on

> Christmas Day. So I went to the nursing home she was in to visit,

> not knowing she had cancer. I walked into the room and she said

Kim,

> I have cancer. I was going to visit about a broken bone.

>

> Anyway they gave her perhaps 6 months to live but told her adult

> children 1 month. So, I too have for the first time in my life a

> close person to me that is passing onto the next journey.

>

> FireWoman, is a Tribial Mother...She Adopted me into her family

back

> in 1992. She is like my second Mom. I have learned so much of

her

> culture and Native American Beliefs. She is one of my oldest

friends.

>

> My Dad Was Air Force for 30 years so I traveled all my life and

never

> got any roots so to speak. I am single. FireWoman is going

really

> fast now. No vistors. She can not speak now and they have taken

her

> off o2. She is at home with hospice.

>

> I am White. Not Native American...our connection was from the

> Creator. I have done the Pow Wow trail with her for many summers

and

> springs and autumns. She is my spirit teacher. I was able to see

her

> on Friday for about 40 minutes. It was a blessing to be able to

do

> that. I sang native american songs to her, told stories about us,

> had her squeeze my hand for YES answers.

> I can not imagine life without FireWoman in it.

>

> So Now I can really relate to all of you who have losted a loved

one

> or they are very ill. This is my first time. I am not even sure

as

> I write if she made it through the night? Her family will not let

me

> come anymore to visit. So, I am remembering how wonderful our

last

> visit was on Friday. I know she was happy I was there. They say

I

> was the last person she spoke to. She only said two different

> sentences. But she talked softly to me. And she communited to me

a

> lot with spueeze of my hand. There will be a huge Celabration of

> Live for her when she passes. Perhaps 1,000 people will be

there.

> She is a Tribal Mother.

> Very Powerful and Wise.

>

> When I had known her for 2 and 1/2 years she honored me with a

Native

> Name. Kim will be called " True Spirit Woman " . I didn't like it.

> I wanted to be Coming Thunder, or Night Hawk, something powerful.

> Funny. EGO....edging God out.

>

> I don't post so long , I am very upset and trying my best to go

with

> what the Creator wants for FireWoman. It is so hard to let go.

> Thank you for reading. I am not doing very well with taking care

of

> my MITO and Stroke health with this going on. Forgeting to take

> meds,etc. So for today, I will call and see if she is still with

> us, and ask how the family is doing. And try better to take care

of

> myself. I know if FireWoman knew I was not taking care of myself,

> she would really be on me.

> The next journey is a part of life. I know this. Peace to all of

> you. And Thank You for letting me vent and share my pain.

> KimGo'sWithFeathers, Kim Michele AHO!!!!

[Guest guest]

Kim,

I am so very sorry to hear about your dear friend. It is a very sad

time, but it sounds like you had a wonderful relationship that you can

cherish forever.

Hugs,

kimgoswithfeathers wrote:

>I don't know how to share the pain of my best friend 74 years old who

>is passing on to the next journey. I have known her since 1991 where

>I met her at a Pow Wow. She and I became very close and FireWoman or

>her White name (Jackie) has been ill for about 2 and a half years.

>Kept going to the doctor. In November I believe she was told she had

>colin and kidey cancer too far gone to treat. How can the Doctors

>miss that in more than two years? Wow.

>

>I was in the hospital myself at the time and didn't know this was

>happening. January 2nd, I went to her store in Rockport, MA to say

>HI, Happy New Year and was told she broke her Feimer Bone on

>Christmas Day. So I went to the nursing home she was in to visit,

>not knowing she had cancer. I walked into the room and she said Kim,

>I have cancer. I was going to visit about a broken bone.

>

>Anyway they gave her perhaps 6 months to live but told her adult

>children 1 month. So, I too have for the first time in my life a

>close person to me that is passing onto the next journey.

>

>FireWoman, is a Tribial Mother...She Adopted me into her family back

>in 1992. She is like my second Mom. I have learned so much of her

>culture and Native American Beliefs. She is one of my oldest friends.

>

>My Dad Was Air Force for 30 years so I traveled all my life and never

>got any roots so to speak. I am single. FireWoman is going really

>fast now. No vistors. She can not speak now and they have taken her

>off o2. She is at home with hospice.

>

>I am White. Not Native American...our connection was from the

>Creator. I have done the Pow Wow trail with her for many summers and

>springs and autumns. She is my spirit teacher. I was able to see her

>on Friday for about 40 minutes. It was a blessing to be able to do

>that. I sang native american songs to her, told stories about us,

>had her squeeze my hand for YES answers.

>I can not imagine life without FireWoman in it.

>

>So Now I can really relate to all of you who have losted a loved one

>or they are very ill. This is my first time. I am not even sure as

>I write if she made it through the night? Her family will not let me

>come anymore to visit. So, I am remembering how wonderful our last

>visit was on Friday. I know she was happy I was there. They say I

>was the last person she spoke to. She only said two different

>sentences. But she talked softly to me. And she communited to me a

>lot with spueeze of my hand. There will be a huge Celabration of

>Live for her when she passes. Perhaps 1,000 people will be there.

>She is a Tribal Mother.

>Very Powerful and Wise.

>

>When I had known her for 2 and 1/2 years she honored me with a Native

>Name. Kim will be called " True Spirit Woman " . I didn't like it.

>I wanted to be Coming Thunder, or Night Hawk, something powerful.

>Funny. EGO....edging God out.

>

>I don't post so long , I am very upset and trying my best to go with

>what the Creator wants for FireWoman. It is so hard to let go.

>Thank you for reading. I am not doing very well with taking care of

>my MITO and Stroke health with this going on. Forgeting to take

>meds,etc. So for today, I will call and see if she is still with

>us, and ask how the family is doing. And try better to take care of

>myself. I know if FireWoman knew I was not taking care of myself,

>she would really be on me.

>The next journey is a part of life. I know this. Peace to all of

>you. And Thank You for letting me vent and share my pain.

>KimGo'sWithFeathers, Kim Michele AHO!!!!

>

>

>

>

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>

[Guest guest]

Kim, thank you so much for sharing your special story with all of

us. I know your heart aches right now and I wish I could make that

better.

I lost my first close friend and teammate when I was 18 and she was

20. Many of my family and friends (including two of my best friends

in the past year) have passed on. On average, 4-5 of my friends or

close acquaintences have passed each year. I'm not sure why so many

since they've been all different ages and from a wide range of

diseases (mostly cancer) and injuries. I don't feel unlucky but

saddened that I cannot completely grieve for one before another

passes. It seems unjust. It has taught me to really appreciate

everyone while they're here...myself included ! I have also been

able to be stronger at funerals and be better support for others as

a result of all of these experiences.

I've seen many people in your shoes who are experiencing their first

loss of a loved one. Many people do not know what to say or do for

a dying person so they avoid them all together. You were strong and

didn't walk away ! That's something to be proud of. You were there

for her when it would have been easier to walk away. It has hurt me

to see that friends and family of these loved ones, people that I

cared for deeply, walked away. They would frequently tell me " I

don't know what to say to her / him " or " it's so awkward. " Then a

good deal of time would pass and they would say " well, it's been so

long since I talked with her / him that I wouldn't know what to

say. " I don't understand that.

So anyway, thanks for being there for your friend, for loving her

and for sharing a once in a lifetime experience with her. You'll

never forget it and she won't either...

God Bless,

bug