A Woman Who Changed My Life

When I worked for hospice there were many people who had a wonderful impact on my life. There was one woman, however, who changed my life like no other. Her name was Alma Jo Stevens.

Alma Jo first greeted me dressed like she was expecting someone very important, and week after week she greeted me with her clothing matching her shoes, her makeup impeccable and her hair always looking perfect. She was a gracious woman, and She always had something to share with me about being born in Prescott and what life was like growing up in the wild, wild west. She had memorabilia of special moments in her life on her bookshelves and we never ran out of things to talk about.

The greatest thing that she wanted to talk about was how she had learned to 'Let Go and Let God.' I saw her for a year and every time she would walk me to the door she would tell me, "Charlotte, Let Go and Let God." As time went by we would be standing at he door saying good-bye and she would take my face in her hands and look deep into my eyes and say, "Let Go and Let God,"

She had no knowledge that our youngest daughter was going through an extremely rebellious time. She didn't know that my two sons had disowned me because I set boundaries that they didn't like, causing them to 'divorce' me. She didn't know that my oldest daughter was trying to not get caught in the middle of it all. She had no idea how important the words she spoke were to me. Without her telling me every week to let go and let God I don't think that I would have made it through those dark days.

Our conversions were always fun and filled with her history. She was the first Homecoming Queen for Prescott High School. She had the newspaper article along with the corsage and her sash out for display. She had her yearbooks that we looked at. She had clippings from the rodeos and she was truly a cowgirl at heart. We never lacked for things to talk about.

When she would take my face into her hands of wisdom, and say those words of truth it truly was as if God was saying them to me, giving me perfect words for what I was going through. As the days grew into weeks, and weeks into months, we really became close. As she declined she asked if I could come later in the day after the CNA helped her get dressed. Then the day came that she sat in her chair with her pajamas on. It was hard on her to decline, but I always made a point to tell her she looked ready to receive the Queen. Then she laughed and we'd have great visit.

During her last days I visited her more often and I would always end the visit by taking her face into y hands and saying, "Remember Alma Jo, Let Go and Let God." She would tell me, "Goodbye my Little Bird." That was her way of acknowledging my Cherokee name...Little Bird. She even gave me a small little bird to keep and I still have it in my Reiki room.

Here is my memorial for her, taken from the notebook where I keep my memories of the people I have been with while working for hospice.

From my Memorial Journal of  Hospice patients