Donna won her race (note to family at top of OP)
Jul 5, 2018 19:00:17 GMT
via mobile
**GypsyGirl**, mom22grlz, and 66 more like this
Post by jenjie on Jul 5, 2018 19:00:17 GMT
Here’s what I wrote to go with some of your lovely, thoughtful posts. I’ll try to send it sometime next week.
Adam, Mason, and Austin,
If you didn’t know about Donna’s online friends at the 2peas scrapbooking website before, you surely did after the shipment of scrapbook pages arrived. That project was unprecedented. Never before have so many of our friends come together in such a way. I hope it helps you see just how beloved Donna was among our group. She only recently learned how to post photos to our board, and the one thing that struck us all in each picture she shared was that smile of hers. It started in her eyes and stretched from ear to ear.
Jesus welcomed my husband home three years before Donna heard her “well done, thou good and faithful servant... enter into the joy of thy Lord.” Like Donna, my Fred was given an unbelievably short prognosis. The Lord met us so personally and powerfully during that time, and he’s continued to meet me in the time since. Donna and I began to talk on a deeper level because I knew hope from someone who’s walked the path you were all facing would be helpful.
I made a promise to Donna, as you will read. I’d like to share with you what I shared with our “pea” friends, as well as some of their expressions of love and sympathy. Mason, I hope you don’t mind that I shared what you said about your mom on Facebook. We were moved by your beautiful words.
Donna was so proud of her men. She was glad to spend another anniversary and birthdays with you, the ones she loved most.
I pray this blesses you.
***
From Adam: My dear wife, Donna Slagle, as in 2 Timothy 4:7, has finished her race.
She passed into God's hands peacefully this morning. I want to thank all of our dear friends who did their utmost to lessen the burden of her illness.
Donna will be at:
Whitlock Mortuary
120 Rose Lane
Toccoa, GA 30577
Visitation will be Sunday, July 8th from 2-4p.
The funeral will be Monday, July 9th at 11:00a.
In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
ETA link provided by Donna’s family:
support.pancan.org/site/TR/DIY/DIYTeamraisers?px=2595022&pg=personal&fr_id=1081
***
From Jen:
Just last month, after learning hospice was her next step, Donna told me, “This website is a special place and I feel the need to share my journey with all of them. I want them to know that I am at peace with my fate. I want to glorify God with my testimony.”
I told her, “Know that when the day comes, God will have been honored by your life and by the words I share from what we’ve talked about and what I’ve seen of your heart. He is being glorified and will be glorified. So proud of you, Donna.”
Like the rest of you, up until recently I just knew donna as a kind and compassionate pea. She never got into arguments or debates. I don’t think I ever heard her say a mean word about anyone. She loved her family and was so proud of them. And she was a dedicated teacher. When she got sick, quite a few of us suggested she should take a leave of absence, but she didn’t want to leave her students in the middle of the school year.
When she was diagnosed with cancer and given such a short window of time, I reached out to her because I understood some of what she and her husband would experience. I hoped to be able to offer something of value to help them walk this path. We started PMing and became friends on facebook.
We built a rich friendship. We talked about some of the things she was dealing with—emotions and relationships. I was able to share a bit of what her husband might be feeling and thinking. Her heart for Adam was so pure and beautiful. I think we all saw the love between them as she shared in her posts.
As much as I was there for Donna, she was there for me. Time after time, she would check up on me. “How are you?” “Are you doing OK?” if I was particularly quiet or intimated on FB or 2peas that something wasn’t quite right in my world.
Even as she struggled with her health, she was looking out for me. When she went on hospice, she gave me an “out” - she encouraged me to back away if being invested in her would trigger grief for me. Thankfully God gave me the grace to walk it out with her.
Three years ago last week, I posted about our friends doing something special for us. Donna said, “I am so glad you have some wonderful support so close by. This thread has me sitting here crying like a baby. It makes me realize that if my family were in this type of situation all of our support is hours away.” (She told me recently that she and Adam were the usually the ones doing the supporting. No surprise there!) I was so glad to see she was wrong about a lack of support! She was able to see that so many people in her life love her and wanted to be there for her.
Donna loved Jesus and had a strong faith. During my darkest time, she encouraged me on the board with Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” She truly believed.
We were talking one day about my son’s prayer for Fred to come back. She said, “But bringing his Dad back would be bringing him back from Heaven.” She knew, who would want to leave heaven once they’ve been in the very presence of God?
As she talked about her wishes for her final days, she said, “I just want what is best for my family. They are the ones that have to deal with the aftermath. I will be busy singing the Hallelujah Chorus with A Heavenly choir.”
One day I told Donna, “what shines through your posts is someone who is honestly struggling with what you’ve been dealt, yet seeking God and trusting him. I don’t feel a sense of panic when I read your stuff. And I see you continue to reach out to others. I don’t see a “poor me” in Donna, not a little bit.”
She said, “Let me know if you ever see “poor me” show up. That is not what I want to portray. I have the hope of spending eternity in the presence of God. No one gets out of here alive.” She was definitely entitled to a “poor me” from time to time.
I planned to copy and paste the kind thoughts you have expressed and send them to Adam. But there is no way I can send 14 pages worth, plus. I’m trying to capture the more significant posts. Between that and things shared in this thread, we will have a good representation to bless her family with.
Ohhh I don’t want to forget! Those of you who sent me a card for Donna - she told me she received the package and appreciated “happy mail.”
***
I just posted this comment under the fb post:
Adam I rejoice for Donna - she won her race and is in the presence of Jesus! Yet my heart breaks for you and your boys. Praying God’s comfort for you all.
There is an international community of scrapbookers, used-to-be-scrappbookers, and people who just love to talk who have come to know, respect, and love Donna. And she has been a very good friend to me. Please know many people you don’t even know weep with you and will be missing her.
***
Tribute from Donna’s son Mason:
I've always thought that a good mother is the most important person in a growing boys life. Not only do they share a special bond from birth, but she shows and teaches him about affection, love, the consequences of his actions, manners, and to be the best that he can be. Regardless of how well he may do all, or none, of those things, she loves him with all her heart anyways, never for him to question. I'll be the first to admit, I'm a mommas boy through and through, to the greatest mother I could have asked for. She challenged me mentally and emotionally, and with help from my Dad they gave me a home full of knowledge, laughter and love. I wouldn't be who I am, or have the life that I cherish if it weren't for her. It eats away at me to say that early this morning my mother ended her long and painful battle with pancreatic cancer. She fought, and endured longer than my family and I could have ever hoped for. These words could never scratch the surface of how amazing of a woman she was, not just for me, but for anyone who was blessed to know her. I love you Mom. Forever and always. Your baby boy.
Adam, Mason, and Austin,
If you didn’t know about Donna’s online friends at the 2peas scrapbooking website before, you surely did after the shipment of scrapbook pages arrived. That project was unprecedented. Never before have so many of our friends come together in such a way. I hope it helps you see just how beloved Donna was among our group. She only recently learned how to post photos to our board, and the one thing that struck us all in each picture she shared was that smile of hers. It started in her eyes and stretched from ear to ear.
Jesus welcomed my husband home three years before Donna heard her “well done, thou good and faithful servant... enter into the joy of thy Lord.” Like Donna, my Fred was given an unbelievably short prognosis. The Lord met us so personally and powerfully during that time, and he’s continued to meet me in the time since. Donna and I began to talk on a deeper level because I knew hope from someone who’s walked the path you were all facing would be helpful.
I made a promise to Donna, as you will read. I’d like to share with you what I shared with our “pea” friends, as well as some of their expressions of love and sympathy. Mason, I hope you don’t mind that I shared what you said about your mom on Facebook. We were moved by your beautiful words.
Donna was so proud of her men. She was glad to spend another anniversary and birthdays with you, the ones she loved most.
I pray this blesses you.
***
From Adam: My dear wife, Donna Slagle, as in 2 Timothy 4:7, has finished her race.
She passed into God's hands peacefully this morning. I want to thank all of our dear friends who did their utmost to lessen the burden of her illness.
Donna will be at:
Whitlock Mortuary
120 Rose Lane
Toccoa, GA 30577
Visitation will be Sunday, July 8th from 2-4p.
The funeral will be Monday, July 9th at 11:00a.
In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
ETA link provided by Donna’s family:
support.pancan.org/site/TR/DIY/DIYTeamraisers?px=2595022&pg=personal&fr_id=1081
***
From Jen:
Just last month, after learning hospice was her next step, Donna told me, “This website is a special place and I feel the need to share my journey with all of them. I want them to know that I am at peace with my fate. I want to glorify God with my testimony.”
I told her, “Know that when the day comes, God will have been honored by your life and by the words I share from what we’ve talked about and what I’ve seen of your heart. He is being glorified and will be glorified. So proud of you, Donna.”
Like the rest of you, up until recently I just knew donna as a kind and compassionate pea. She never got into arguments or debates. I don’t think I ever heard her say a mean word about anyone. She loved her family and was so proud of them. And she was a dedicated teacher. When she got sick, quite a few of us suggested she should take a leave of absence, but she didn’t want to leave her students in the middle of the school year.
When she was diagnosed with cancer and given such a short window of time, I reached out to her because I understood some of what she and her husband would experience. I hoped to be able to offer something of value to help them walk this path. We started PMing and became friends on facebook.
We built a rich friendship. We talked about some of the things she was dealing with—emotions and relationships. I was able to share a bit of what her husband might be feeling and thinking. Her heart for Adam was so pure and beautiful. I think we all saw the love between them as she shared in her posts.
As much as I was there for Donna, she was there for me. Time after time, she would check up on me. “How are you?” “Are you doing OK?” if I was particularly quiet or intimated on FB or 2peas that something wasn’t quite right in my world.
Even as she struggled with her health, she was looking out for me. When she went on hospice, she gave me an “out” - she encouraged me to back away if being invested in her would trigger grief for me. Thankfully God gave me the grace to walk it out with her.
Three years ago last week, I posted about our friends doing something special for us. Donna said, “I am so glad you have some wonderful support so close by. This thread has me sitting here crying like a baby. It makes me realize that if my family were in this type of situation all of our support is hours away.” (She told me recently that she and Adam were the usually the ones doing the supporting. No surprise there!) I was so glad to see she was wrong about a lack of support! She was able to see that so many people in her life love her and wanted to be there for her.
Donna loved Jesus and had a strong faith. During my darkest time, she encouraged me on the board with Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” She truly believed.
We were talking one day about my son’s prayer for Fred to come back. She said, “But bringing his Dad back would be bringing him back from Heaven.” She knew, who would want to leave heaven once they’ve been in the very presence of God?
As she talked about her wishes for her final days, she said, “I just want what is best for my family. They are the ones that have to deal with the aftermath. I will be busy singing the Hallelujah Chorus with A Heavenly choir.”
One day I told Donna, “what shines through your posts is someone who is honestly struggling with what you’ve been dealt, yet seeking God and trusting him. I don’t feel a sense of panic when I read your stuff. And I see you continue to reach out to others. I don’t see a “poor me” in Donna, not a little bit.”
She said, “Let me know if you ever see “poor me” show up. That is not what I want to portray. I have the hope of spending eternity in the presence of God. No one gets out of here alive.” She was definitely entitled to a “poor me” from time to time.
I planned to copy and paste the kind thoughts you have expressed and send them to Adam. But there is no way I can send 14 pages worth, plus. I’m trying to capture the more significant posts. Between that and things shared in this thread, we will have a good representation to bless her family with.
Ohhh I don’t want to forget! Those of you who sent me a card for Donna - she told me she received the package and appreciated “happy mail.”
***
I just posted this comment under the fb post:
Adam I rejoice for Donna - she won her race and is in the presence of Jesus! Yet my heart breaks for you and your boys. Praying God’s comfort for you all.
There is an international community of scrapbookers, used-to-be-scrappbookers, and people who just love to talk who have come to know, respect, and love Donna. And she has been a very good friend to me. Please know many people you don’t even know weep with you and will be missing her.
***
Tribute from Donna’s son Mason:
I've always thought that a good mother is the most important person in a growing boys life. Not only do they share a special bond from birth, but she shows and teaches him about affection, love, the consequences of his actions, manners, and to be the best that he can be. Regardless of how well he may do all, or none, of those things, she loves him with all her heart anyways, never for him to question. I'll be the first to admit, I'm a mommas boy through and through, to the greatest mother I could have asked for. She challenged me mentally and emotionally, and with help from my Dad they gave me a home full of knowledge, laughter and love. I wouldn't be who I am, or have the life that I cherish if it weren't for her. It eats away at me to say that early this morning my mother ended her long and painful battle with pancreatic cancer. She fought, and endured longer than my family and I could have ever hoped for. These words could never scratch the surface of how amazing of a woman she was, not just for me, but for anyone who was blessed to know her. I love you Mom. Forever and always. Your baby boy.
I'm so sorry. 
I'm sad to hear this. But I so very much admire her spirit and her courage and her love for others. What a wonderful woman we had the opportunity to get to know here.
