to a most loved carol marshall

its hard to know where even to begin.
so perhaps i will simply jump in.

carol marshall came into my life when she and her husband frank and son andrew moved onto cripplegate from california when i was in middle school.
finally a neighbor to play with, the odell kids thought.
little did we know that mr. and mrs. would be just as much fun.

the years found us running into them picking up a friday night pizza, enjoying wine at their home, frequent car accident rescues, planning snow fights, dreaming of summer homes, listening to teenage angst, bringing over home cooked meals and genuinely enjoying being with each other.

as the older sister and i talked this evening, i tried to pinpoint what it was about carol that made her so unforgettable.
it wasnt only her love for her savior. some might say that was the biggest part of her life, overflowing into everything she did.
but i also think it was her love for everyone she met. every single person felt like they mattered in her presence.
i know i did.

today carol marshall went home to heaven after fighting pancreatic cancer for the past few months.

i will miss carol.
and not in the obvious way of physically missing her being around.
but in the way of my heart aching knowing that she is gone.
it aches for andrew having to bury his mom at 21.
it aches for mr. marshall living life without his beautiful soulmate.
and it aches for all the people who would rather have her here with us still.

as i was driving into the whittier hills today, this song came on the radio.
it touched me in a tender way that i have not received in a while.

To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

i will miss you, carol marshall.
but only because i wish i could have had more time with you.
you are with your savior now.

and we will see each other again...