Elna

She was the only person I knew named, "Elna."  Not that she was the only one who answered when called by that tag.   There must have been thousands around the United States and the world who shared the appellation.  (Even a sewing machine sold under the "Elna" brand). I never asked Mother why she chose it for her firstborn daughter.  I wish I had.  Elna certainly could have carried Delores, Mary, Ruth.  Grace, or Eleanor (a form of Elna) easily.  Since her life personified patience, graciousness, and compassion, just about any name would have sufficed.

In contrast, I know the derivation of my name. A compromise between Daddy, who wanted a "Dorcas," for the New Testament seamstress, and Mother's adamant refusal to acquiesce. Too cumbersome a name for a baby girl, Mother decreed.  They agreed on "Dorothy," which means "Gift of God." Thank goodness! Why and how its current spelling came about deserves its own blog. 

Always and forever the "Big Sister," Elna carried the burden of the firstborn female: part mother, trusted friend, and keeper of secrets, she was the "Go-To" before that moniker entered the current lexicon.  Elna married early, before attaining the "age of maturity," (21).  She birthed twin daughters, two sons, and the "Baby Girl" in her mid-twenties.

As protective as a she-bear with a toothache,  Elna fiercely protected her siblings.  Classmates learned early if they "messed" with one of us meant you had to deal with her.  She became a legend in elementary school when she learned that a big, burly (for grammar school) boy had messed with one of her sisters during recess.  Well-behaved and relentlessly polite to adults, Elna went to a classroom, asked the teacher to point out the culprit, and wiped the floor with him before anyone could stop her.

Elna then announced, "I'm going to the Principal's office," where she explained her unannounced visit and awaited her fate.  Although she was suspended for the rest of that week, she had established a standard!  

A working mother, Elna chose nursing as her profession.  She loved helping others! In no time, her name soon became synonymous with kindness, compassion, and patience.  She was assigned to a ward where difficult patients were treated.  Most of them resisted taking"meds," however many times they were administered daily.  Elna soon became the "Go-To" nurse at the County Hospital. When a colleague or patient warned, "Sykes coming through the door," the story goes that to a patient, everybody immediately reached for the tiny paper cup Elna dispensed and swallowed their meds, willingly.  Mission accomplished!  An extension of the legend, perhaps.  

I can't verify its accuracy because I only heard about it after her heart attacked her, or maybe it just wore out.  Bookends in terms of birth order, Elna taught me early that Love is Spirit and Spirit never dies.

I received the call at work on a Friday afternoon.  Without warning, Elna had been hospitalized.  Things don't look that good.  Fortunately, I arrived at the hospital late that night. After sitting vigil for almost a week, a staff physician at the hospital where she lay dying explained.  She'd transition, he estimated,  within 48 to 72 hours.  Quite early about  68 hours after the doctor's prophecy, I woke with a start in the chair that had become my bed.  The same doctor stood checking her vitals.  I watched as she flatlined.

Former (and not just the recalcitrant ones) and current patients, colleagues, and hospital staff crowded into her "Wake," the evening before her funeral.  As they passed the bier, they would pause, touch, or gently pat the casket before moving on.  "Some glad morning when this life is over, I'll fly away, To a home on God's celestial shore, I'll fly away.  I'll fly away!  I'll fly away, oh glory, I'll fly away, When I die, hallelujah, by and by, I'll fly away.  Just a few more weary days and then, I'll fly away, To a land where joy shall never end, I'll fly away"

I honor Elna as one of a kind: Legendary Big Sister. Friend-Mother. Unparalleled Protector.  Keeper of Secrets.  A woman after God's own heart.   I miss you! I love you, Elna. Thank you.