There are people who make a difference in other people’s lives. Ss Lou did beyond that. She made other people’s lives better. I, for one, became a better person because of her, so is every person who was fortunate enough to encounter her in this lifetime.
Ss is not a typographical error. She calls me Ss Nora so I call her Ss Lou. According to her, Ss stands for Soulsister. (God apparently couldn’t find a suitable Soulmate for me so He sent a Soulsister instead heheheh . . .)
I rejoined Handmaids Of The Lord in 2003 but it was only during the pandemic that Ss Lou and I became close. Call me snob, introvert, or whatever but I deliberately stayed in the shadows to hide my true identity. I was afraid to be known or recognized to escape considerable tasks that would sacrifice my crucial obligations as father, mother, daughter, and homemaker.
Very few people exhibit the same generous disposition as Ss Lou’s. Even those days when I strictly maintained significant distance between us, she was always showering me with kind words and gestures. It was her unrelenting spirit that finally broke down my wall and welcome her into my chaotic world.
Ss Lou was the kind of person who will move heaven and earth to help anybody in need. She would pray unceasingly to lift up our concerns. She would go out of her comfort zone to lighten the burden of the oppressed. She would spend extra hours to think of ways and means to improve something that needed to be mended. She would love unconditionally and give readily without expecting anything in return. She was always beaming with joy, happiness and enthusiasm that would melt even the hardest of hearts. She would inspire you to believe in yourself, do your best and serve with grace, humility and gratitude to the Almighty.
Thank you Ss Lou, for letting us experience God’s redeeming love through your unparalled dedication. Though I still cannot accept that you are now gone forever, thank you for making my 67th birthday truly meaningful by allowing me and the countless people who adore you bring you to your final resting place. Hard as it is, I bid you farewell. You will be greatly missed, never to be forgotten. We love you, Ss Lou!
(For comments/reactions, reach me via Messenger or at ndelr62@gmail.com. Stay safe everyone!)
