Janet Cowgill

For the past few weeks I have been thinking about Janet Cowgill.

She is a friend who I see at church and we have such an unusual friendship and I'm not sure our paths would have ever crossed had I not been in the Relief Society Presidency or had she not been my visiting teaching supervisor. She would call me every month asking for my report. This was a time when I NEVER did my visiting teaching, probably due to a baby or being lazy, but she would call and I would tell her I didn't visit my sisters. Janet speaks her mind and was very quick to tell me about the quilt I would carry on my shoulders for not not going and would sit there and chastise me on the phone. I always got off the phone feeling very guilty and shocked and a little bit mad. We did this month after month. Once I stopped being offended and learned about Janets personality, thats where our friendship began. We eventually came up with a "thumbs up, thumbs down" signal at church as a way of me telling her weather I did my visiting teaching or not. I did get better and start to go and was happy to give my thumbs up at church as I would pass her in the foyer (she always sits out there). It became a thing between us and its weird but I started to look forward to seeing her each Sunday and she smiled when she saw me too (she has a lot of past issues and has had a very hard life and still does). I got to know her more through Jolene Benson and Janet has told me that sometimes talking to me at church is her only way of not leaving or having a panic attack. She just focuses on me and our conversation(she has anxiety talking to people).  As I said we have a strange relationship. She reminds me of my mom because she is very natural and knows the human body inside and out and talking to her has a very familiar feeling. I have not seen her at church the last couple of weeks and I really wanted to take her something Christmasy. Since she can't digest salt, sugar, and most grains, I thought I should take her a Christmas poinsettia. 

While we were at Walmart tonight shopping for our homeless kits I picked up one and on the way home Tj drove me over (she lives in the mobile home park). Her husband led me to her room where she lay in bed, very sick. 

Of course she gave me a hard time about this being the first time coming to her house and about putting her in shock (I should mention she is prob in her 60s maybe 70s). She then cried and told me I was her Christmas miracle. Those flowers were the first sign of Christmas in her home and the first anyone had thought of her this season. We talked for a bit and she told me about her "Miracle Book" she keeps. In it she writes all of the miracle her Father in heaven blesses her with. She told me tonight she would add this.

I love that idea and I'm going to start my own Miracle Book. I have many of my own.

I hope to see Janet at church on Sunday.

The Bishop also called TJ once we got home to let him know of some people in the ward who could use some help this Christmas whose names were not on the giving tree.

Brother Cowgill was one the Bishop asked us to help.
I love this time of year and the opportunities we have to serve others.