I said goodbye today to a very special woman. She made up a triumverate we called “the Three Wise Women.” These three women shaped who I am today and will continue to influence me in the future, even after they are gone.

My earliest memory of Sr. Justina is her dressed in a full clown costume. This is probably not my actual first memory (since she babysat me when I was a newborn), but I grew up with photos of her in clown costumes so it’s the image that always pops into my head. And it’s an apt image, because no one could embody a better image of childlike joy than Sr. Justina. To know her was to experience pure joy & unconditional love. At her funeral today, her gift for hospitality was mentioned & it was spot on! Even in her later years in a tiny simple apartment, Sr. Justina always invited people to visit & she made sure to have a cup of coffee & “something for the sweet tooth.”

Some people start out joyful but lose their sunshine when faced with adversity — that was NOT Sr. Justina. Twenty years of cancer & grueling pain never took the twinkle from her eyes or the mischievous Cajun humor. I didn’t get to spend much time with her as I became an adult, but the rare moments I had with her were enough to teach me the grace of suffering. And the influence she had on my mom & godmother somehow transferred to me even when she wasn’t part of my daily life. The Three Wise Women showed me what friendship should look like & that aging gracefully isn’t about anti-wrinkle cream — it’s about becoming the woman God designed us to be.

To my Mom & Nanny who said goodbye to their best friend today, I love you & I hope for many more years of your wisdom.