The last Christmas Bonnie and I spent together...

A Christmas Remembered
As I look back over so many Christmas holidays none can rival 2004. Our 10 footer took 2 days to decorate. Tiny colored lights twinkled across the carpet…Ornaments sparkled with memories from so many past years…A Poinsettia garland draped the huge mirror facing the fireplace and numerous manger scenes were scattered throughout the living room. Bing Crosby sang White Christmas while Bonnie prepared cookies and fudge for the neighbors. A giving she had done for the past 15 years.
On December 9th things began to change. Bonnie spent more and more time on the couch…she said she felt exhausted and tired all the time. Days passed and Christmas grew closer and closer. Our tree was surrounded with colorfully wrapped gifts with beautiful bows and ribbons addressed to each other and relatives who would soon arrive.
Each year Bonnie prepared baskets for the elderly in rest homes…she called it her gift of love…giving something back to those in time of need. When her rounds ended I found her lying on the couch napping…her beautiful blond hair draped across her face. I sat in silence and watched an angel sleep wondering why she had chosen to spend her life with a mortal like me…I still have trouble understanding it all.
Christmas Eve came and Bonnie sat in silence on the couch…Chase and I piled gifts all around her…she only smiled and watched. “I’ll open mine later when I feel better.” She then drifted off to sleep again.
Two days later I sat in the waiting room while she under went test…test we hoped would tell us what was going on. She was only gone a short time. Then I saw her coming towards me with Dr. Hudson. “Take her to the emergency room…I have called and they are waiting.” My heart dropped as tears flowed down Bonnie’s cheeks. We drove in silence to Forrest General Hospital with me holding her hand all the way…as we pulled into the parking lot she turned to me and said…”I have cancer.”
Bonnie fought for the remainder of December and on January 12 she was transferred to the Multiple Myeloma Center in Little Rock Arkansas. She never gave up her fight and smiled each day as she faced test after test…I never left her side for a moment…During that time we relived so many wonderful memories that spanned 30 years. Memories so vivid that it seemed like only yesterday…we laughed and we cried together then on February 4 at 11 AM she looked at me and said…”You have no idea how much I love you…” She squeezed my hand and closed her eyes. An angel who came to earth and chose to live her life with me was gone…I was alone for the first time in 30 years… After returned home I sat in silence on the couch looking at our Christmas tree with all of her unopened presents still there. I closed my eyes. For a brief moment I thought I heard her in the kitchen. I turned and looked to see if she was really there…the kitchen was dark and empty…I got up, went to our bedroom and cried myself to sleep that night.

EPILOGUE

Two months later Hurlon Pierce and James Moore of LONGLEAF TRACE founded the Bonnie Anglin Award…”She was our unofficial GOODWILL AMBASSADOR for the trace…she will be missed”

Bonnie W. Anglin
Florence Rebecca Wooton
Bonnie BuBu
July 9, 1951 – February 4, 2005

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