Tribute to Linda
Linda Louise Heikkinen, even her name brings a smile to your lips and face. That is how I want to remember her. I was in California a year ago last May for Mother's Day with our daughter Becky, and could not pass up the chance to visit her. Her battle with cancer was just beginning and going out for lunch a maybe, but fortunately it was one of her good days so we spent a lovely morning and afternoon with her laughing and remembering the days of her youth. We lived across the street from the church for many years, so enjoyed watching her grow up from an impish youngster to a lovely teenager. Mark, our oldest, was the same age and living so close, they shared many good times.
Linda was a very good mimic of how our Pastor would walk, especially when he was in a hurry to get home, and she knew how to copy his style to a "T". One event that had us in tears of laughter was remembering when we were lucky to adopt a kitten that was so young you could not quite tell its sex, so it was called Shim. Little Shim followed the kids everywhere and sometimes got underfoot. The door between the kitchen and dining room in our apartment was slammed several times and one time it must have hit little Shim. Kitty crawled into its box and died. Well, when it was discovered, OHHH THE TEARS!!! So we had to make a suitable coffin with lots of soft filling of Kleenex and tissue, and gift wrapped in Christmas paper. When Gerald got home it was his duty to take the kids to Glenwood Park for burial. There they sang songs, everyone they could think of from Sunday school to Christmas carols and recited every prayer they ever knew. In the meantime Gerald was digging in the dirt still quite frozen as it was late March or early April. The tool he brought was not quite up to the job and he ended digging the area with his hands. Well, the deed was done and all came home, had supper and right after, Gerald noted his hands were swelling, getting very red and burning and itching at the same time. We tried to treat it at home, but by bed time it was out of control, so a trip to North Memorial Emergency was needed. The young doctor listened to his story and saw how his hands which were like two big lobster claws and said he had buried kitty in a bed of Poison oak or Ivy!! Needless to say we never buried any of our pets at home again, they all were taken care of by our vet.
Linda's sense of humor was used many times as she grew. Helping others was something she enjoyed. Having her mom, Bertha, a nurse, she found a good role model so going into nursing was almost expected. Her outgoing spirit and helping others was just her. She always gained more by giving than taking. She kept in touch with me those long years of Gerald's stroke and also Mark's cancer with notes of encouragement, recipes she liked and were good tasting for cancer treatment times. Her spirit also had sadness when Dennis died. I'm so glad I was able to send her a CD of music that I had found to be encouraging. We shared many good things and I am so glad she felt comfortable letting me share some of her sadness during her cancer treatment. But in all of this her strong faith in Our Lord and Savior never wavered.
We are here to say good bye to a dear friend, but I would rather use a term that is now in use among Finns. It is "Nakemiin" which translated is more like "Till I see you again". Heaven is our home and we will see Linda and our loved ones when it is our turn to go.
Nakemiin, Linda!
Love, Norma (A family friend of 50+ years)