For Debbie

My dear friend Debbie. This post is dedicated to her. Debbie Pocock. A very dear friend of mine. I've known Debbie for 27 years. I sat beside her in church one Sunday and she held my baby, Seth…he was 4 months old. Debbie loves babies. If there's a baby to be held…she's just the one to hold it.

WE became friends right away and have been since. Debbie….what fun she is….she has the most one-liners of anyone I've ever known. I've picked up a lot of things from Debbie over the years. "Stupid is as stupid does" as Debbie would say. We have worked side by side as girls camp directors, YCL Cabin moms, and just buddies for 27 years now. We usually would have our camp meetings at her house…it's always clean. One day for some reason…I'm sure it was her choice, not mine…we met at my house. No big deal…I tidied up the typical areas that one sees when they come to visit. No worries. Debbie lets herself in through the garage which comes into the laundry room. I had mountains of laundry in there…both clean and dirty…when she gets to the kitchen where I am she says.. "I love what you've done with your laundry room." UGH!!! Leave it to Debbie. J Her rule was to fold and put it away as soon as it came out of the dryer. I've never been able to keep that rule. Her dishes are washed as soon as they're dirtied. Debbie….she's 'a prince of a guy'.

She once asked me if I ever wore anything other than jeans. Nope…not me..I'm a jeans girl. Debbie is class…always looks stylish….a real 'fashion plate'. One day at my house Alex came in and offered to make us some lunch while we had our camp meeting…when he asked her what she would like she replied "pheasant under glass"….well…she got Tuna on Toast under a pyrex baking dish. She loved it. High class all the way. Debbie's not one to hold back. If she thinks it…chances are..she says it, and she always gets away with it. Alex has been told many times over the years that he's 'not as stupid as he looks'. Debbie loves baseball. If she wasn't watching it on TV….or listening to it on the radio…then you can bet she was sitting in the stands watching the game and cheering on 'her boys'. She knew all about each player and kept up with the game. She also loved basketball and spent many hours courtside watching her team play.

Debbie is the queen of decorating for the holidays. You name the holiday, she has a box of decorations in her storage room just for the occasion. Nativities are her pride and joy. She has them from all over the world and at Christmas time each one of them is on display.

Debbie is always willing to help out. When my daughter Breezy got married Debbie offered her yard and house for the reception. It turned out beautiful, Don is a master gardener and had the nicest lawn in the neighborhood.

Debbie loves to go to the movies. She even goes by herself if necessary. One day I went to a movie with another friend. We sat in the dark and noticed several rows in front of us a woman all by herself. Yep..it was Debbie. We joined her and had a great time. She had a bag full of snacks. Nuts and chocolates…mmmm…Debbie..always prepared. Her and I would drive through Wendy's for lunch and then stick it in our purses to take into the theater with us. One day we decided to meet for a movie. I got to the theatre and she wasn't there. I went in and waited…the movie started…I waited…I watched the movie…I waited. After the movie we realized we had each gone to the same movie, at the same time, but at different theatres. "It was fun seeing a movie without you, let's do it again sometime."

Debbie has taught primary for years and is the best primary teacher ever. She's told me so often about how she loves her primary kids. They always got an ice cream cone on their birthday. And Debbie always gets birthday presents from them. They love her so much.

Several years ago Debbie was told she had breast cancer. What a shock. She had surgery and the anesthesia made her sick. After puking all over herself she joked with the nurse about the mess she had made and had him laughing right along with her. She had radiation treatments. All was well. Debbie went on living, laughing, and loving. Then one day they said it was back. More radiation…again…all is well…for a while.

After some back pain she found out she had a tumor near her spine...the cancer was back...the medication shrunk it...the doc gave her an all clear.

The four of us went on an Alaskan cruise. What fun. It was a great time. Debbie harassed Alex about eating pizza on the lido deck all day and into the night. We saw the sights, relaxed and had a wonderful time. After we returned home so did the cancer. She started chemo. One Sunday she called and asked me to come down and shave her head since most of her hair had fallen out.

We went to doctor visits together...chemo treatments...and out for a 'spot of lunch'.

Debbie...always witty...always fun...did her best to keep her chin up....when she was bedridden and had no mobility I would ask her "How the heck are you?" to which she always replied..."Jim-Dandy Fine".

Debbie....she died this morning at 4:15 am....I miss her....I always will...her wit....her laugh...her wonderful sense of humor....her tender heart...her love of her friends...her love of the Gospel.

Debbie...."a real peach"...."the big cheese"...."a prince of a guy"....and best of all...."not as stupid as she looks"...

Debbie is Jim-Dandy Fine....she's happy...and free to be Debbie...to live, to laugh and to love.

I'll never forget my dear friend Debbie.