IT WON'T BE LONG, WE'LL MEET AGAIN!

Story By Peter Vuono

Title by Howard Jones and Adam Dutkiewicz

   Recently, my friend Colleen passed away after having valiantly battled cancer. Whenever I think of Colleen, the poetess Maya Angelou always comes to mind. Angelou once said, "You may never remember what someone said, and you may never remember what someone did, but you'll always remember how someone made you feel ."  Colleen was the epitome of encouragement. Every time I saw her, she'd say something so very complimentary.

   In July we were in a park together. As Diane and I walked ahead of her, I could hear Colleen comment to her husband, Frankie," Look at the two of them; they look like two high school kids". About ten years ago, at one of her husband Frankie's weightlifting contest, my son and I did  an impromptu exhibition of Kenpo for Colleen. She was delighted and talked about it many times through the years. The irony, here is that Colleen had the kinds of qualities that would deserve constant accolades.

   She was a loyal and hard working daughter, mom and wife.She'd sacrifice anything for her loved ones.She actually competed in a national championship weightlifting contest. She delighted and made happy hundreds of people by raising and selling bulldogs. When I visited her home, I couldn't wait to be greeted by her two personal dogs, Zeus and Smooch. She was able to drive and commandeer gigantic dump trucks which would scare to death a common guy like me!

  She wasn't afraid to stand up for herself with firmness and class. She and her husband had a rude and antagonistic neighbor. Colleen confronted the man, stood her ground and was never bothered again. When Bruce Lee said, "Be soft, yet not yielding, be firm, yet not hard", he must have been thinking of Colleen.

  One of my and my son's favorite songs is called, "The Rose of Sharon". There's a special refrain in the song that reminds me so much of Colleen and so many of my friends who have left before me. It goes, "It won't be long, we'll meet again. Your memory is never passing. It won't be long, we'll meet again. My love for you is everlasting".

  Certainly her memory will never pass away to those that love her. However, it's the beginning of the refrain that is so very important for us to listen to. If we believe in the resurrection, it won't be long and we will meet Colleen and all our other loved ones again in the folded arms, the love and the eternity of Christ.