Annie O’Donnell

 

December 10, 1920,   Brooklyn, NY October 7, 1994, Albany, NY 

Similar to real life my thoughts may not follow each other in any logical sequence
Things don’t always fit together in a way we think they should
Oftentimes, God’s plan is beyond our understanding
And in our humanness we don’t understand why Anne had to leave us so soon
It seems that deep inside many of us knew that Anne’s time to leave was coming
close and so we came to say our final good-byes in one way or another

We all wish we could have been there to hold Anne’s hand as she took her final giant step from this life into into eternity
And we might have felt saddened thinking Anne died alone in a hospital bed
But the truth of the matter is that Anne was far from alone, rather she held each and every one of us lovingly in her heart ❤️

Annie was a very beautiful woman, inside and out
Although she never married she was mother to us all and she felt the pain when any one of us was suffering
She was a feisty character, always willing to share her point of view
She was a clever businesswoman who lived simply and courageously
She never waived in her faith in God or her love of family
She shared her sense of playfulness with each generation of children
She loved a good party, a good story, and a good fight
The blood of Irish ancestry filled her veins
And the memories of youthful love and summers in Friendsville warmed her heart

This past winter when my little nephew, Joseph, died I wrote the lyrics to a song called, “ Within My Heart”
Anne shared with me that she especially liked a particular section of the song
because it reminded her of her relationship with her sister, Dot
The words go like this:
“ And when my life on earth 🌏 must end,
I’ll have no fear; I’ll have my friend
The one I love will be with me both now and through eternity “

When we were called to Anne’ s bedside very early Friday morning, her spirit seemed to communicate a great sense of joy in being reunited with her dearest friend, Dot.
Along with Dot, Joe and Marie, and T. J. and Margaret welcomed her with open arms
Anne went from our loving embrace right into theirs
The great love that supported her on this side made her passage to the next peaceful and secure
One part of her family handed her gently over to the other
Anne’s love of family had paid off in the end, making her passage easy and relaxed
What greater gift can anyone of us ask for than to be cradled in love at the moment of death
It might not have been an accident that I was sick the last couple of weeks and couldn’t participate
more fully in Anne’s medical intervention
I would have fought too hard to keep her alive and interfered with God’s Plan
Like my Aunt Anne, I can be stubborn and feisty, too
No, as hard as it is to move on I really believe Anne’s spirit was ready to fly

We’ll miss you Anne, but we believe you’re in a better place
And for some reason I feel Anne wants me to end by sharing this blessing for her:
“ May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rains fall softly upon your fields
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand”