Last Thursday I attended the funeral of a family friend. Ethel Willie Johnson Reed was 105 years old. Hard to imagine being on this earth for that many years! The earth was fortunate to have had Mrs Reed for so long, she loved people and she loved nature. She saw beauty in everything around her. She also created beauty, with her paint brush, with paper, and often with small seemingly insignificant objects around her.Mrs Reed was a tiny lady who wore her long grey hair in braids that she criss-crossed into a crown on top of her head. She had a tiny, almost squeaky voice that was as gentle as she. I never heard her sing but she sang in a choir for many years. She loved to travel. According to her obituary, she visited Egypt, Italy, London, Hawaii, and the Holy Land. I remember she would often anoint us with holy water brought back from her visits to the Holy Land.
Mrs Reed touched many lives during her lifetime. I hope her kindness and gentleness continue to be passed forward by all who met her.
