In today's post I take a moment to pause and reflect on the short time that I knew a wonderful person.

When I went down to Camp Zama for the Delta Peppermint Ball about a month ago I met some wonderful sorors including one woman named Jacqueline Williams. We affectionately referred to her as Ms. Jackie. Ms Jackie was probably one of the oldest women in the chapter but just as lively and fun as the younger sorors. She made jokes with us and about us! We (Erica, Ameenah, Ms. Jackie and I) sat and watched Apollo after the Ball that night and overall had a good time. Tank (the singer) was on that night and we laughed as she looked at him and told us how FIONE he was and that he had a nice body! She reminded me so much of my aunts and older relatives with the old skool flava and modern slang. Erica and I had already invited ourselves up to celebrate Mother's Day with her. We were going to cook for her and everything. . .I am talking in the past tense because Ms. Jackie died in her sleep last night. She was in a hotel room on Camp Zama's base with one of her chapter sorors. They were spending the night there because there was a Delta Academy Cotillion last night that she was MCing. The Delta Academy girls were putting it on and had worked really hard and raised money for it. I didn't go because I wanted to save my money for NZ trip at the end of this week and now I'm sad in a way that I wasn't able to be around Ms. Jackie in her last few hours. Its so funny how life changes on us so quickly. She had just emailed me Friday telling me that she was going to get my girl scout cookies off to me that she had bought. She told me she had just been a little busy but was going to get aroundtuit soon. She said "Hold your horses lil sistah!" Boy I'm going to miss that lady.


My prayer for Ms. Jackie: Lord you have helped me in many ways in the last nine months. One of the greatest gifts you have bestowed upon me is the opportunity to meet many different types of people and some of them have been people I'll never forget. About a month ago you brought a cheery woman in a bright red suit with a cream dress blouse who I knew upon seeing her was a Delta. She approached our table in the food court area of the PX who came in talking about wanting a "chicken and a biscuit". It was my pleasure to get it for her and anything else she needed cause she looked like she had already had quite along day. Once we checked into our hotel that night I even drove her car to the hall where the Ball was held because she wanted us to have her car so we could have a ride over there and she had to be there before us. Lord, there was a smile on her face everytime we saw her! I saw the beauty that only you can instill in someone's life radiating all over Ms. Jackie's person. I am saddened by her passing but I know that your arm swept her up where she belongs. It was her time to go and only you knew that and your reasons for bringing her home. Be with her family and give them strength to realize that we all belong to you and that no one is on earth any shorter or longer than you plan for them to be. Bless the lives that Ms. Jackie touched with her kind heart and warm smile. Give us comfort as we are reminded that you are the ruler of all and determine the length of our lives not we ourselves. Thank you again Lord for allowing me to even know Ms. Jackie for the brief time that I did and may we who love, cared, and were touched by her always think of Ms. Jacqueline Williams with a smile on our faces. In your name Lord, I pray all these things and I give you honor and praise for who you are, who you have been to me and mine, and will continue to be as long as my days on this earth are intended to be. Amen.