Goodbye Torie

Our friend Torie passed away.  I will always remember how kind and thoughtful she was.  She suffered from a variety of illnesses and physical impairments, but whenever I talked to her she was always concerned about how I was doing.  She had a hard time getting around, but whenever we went to the grocery store together or to do any other errands, I always felt like she was the cheerful one who made my day better.  When Ezra was born, she made him a cute blanket...and another cute blanket for Luz also.

Juan introduced Torie to our family.  Right after Luz was born, he started working as a taxi driver.  Torie didn't drive (due to a seizure she once had) and frequently called for a taxi.  When she realized how close we live (2 blocks away), she started calling Juan directly and they became friends.  Soon he was not only driving her to the bank and the grocery store, but taking her to doctor appointments and other errands.  She had lots of doctor appointments.  During the year 2009 when I was working, Juan and Luz would often hang out with Torie while I was at work.  Luz adored her.  She adored Luz.  She became Luz' personal grandma up the street.  Every single time we drove or walked by Torie's house, Luz waved at Torie and Kory.  Luz often talked about Torie's owies and asked why she had so many.  We visited Torie at home, at the hospital, at the care center, and spent lots of time listening to her stories.  It always made me feel a bit sad to hear about how her life used to be and how active she was.  By the time we met her, she was already in constant pain.

This was the first time Luz attended a viewing and funeral.  Juan didn't want to take her, but I really felt like they were good friends and Luz needed to say goodbye.  We attended the viewing Wednesday night.  Luz seemed to take it all in and asked lots of questions.  The funeral was Thursday morning and it was nice to get to know her some more from the stories her sister and daughters told about her.  We will sure miss you Torie!