A HUGE Lost in my life!!!!!

One day Genell was at our house and she was getting love from baby Max!!

Today a TRUE earthly angel was given her "Heavenly Wings" and was called home to her Heavenly Father.

My especially sweet, treasured, dear friend and sister, Genell Bridges passed away.

There are no words to expressed how sad I am! Nor are there words to express how much I will miss her!
Genell was the best wife, mother, foster mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and friend  EVER! Genell had love for everyone, no matter who they were! 
I remember one of the first times I met Genell., about 16 years ago, We were at Gilbert High school where our kids attended school together. I was waiting for the meeting to start when Genell walked in with a big, perfect big shiny "Page-boy" (as she always said) bright pink lipstick, bright blue eye shadow, and a huge purse . She was darling!!! I knew in that moment I wanted to get to know her! How thankful I am for that day! Over the years we became close. Genell was ALWAYS so busy so we did not get together to often but when we   did....It was trouble!! Our favorite word was jackass!! I   think I learned that word for Genell!
Fast forward to early 2007 when Genell was working full time in and out of her home, serving in the Temple, and serving in the Stake Relief Society Presidency.She was diagnosed with an autoimmune syndrome called   TTP. With in a week or so she was in a coma and had suffered several stokes. She was in ICU for many months on a ventilator. She lost the use of her left side. Her family was told she had less than a 5% chance to live. As the months went on she was moved to a few different step down ICU in Phoenix, one in Apache Junction, and in and out of the ICU of the hospital many more times. Over the last 3 plus years Genell has been in a nursing home/ rehab center. Genell had to be hoisted out of her bed every morning into her wheel chair. She was not able to even wheel her self in her wheel chair because of the loss she suffer on her left side. There is really no way I could explain ALL she has gone through over the past five years, including the loss of her husband.
I have thought to my self a million times over the past five years how does anyone ENDURE what she has with such GRACE and FAITH.!
Every time I would go and visit with Genell it was a spiritual feast! She was never bitter. She was always worried about everyone else. She would say.....I just don't know how so many people keep up in their busy lives! All I have to worry about is learning to walk again. Genell's faith NEVER wavered! I have never know anyone so in tuned to her Heavenly Father and her Savior! She would share things with me that are to personal to write here and I would say how do you know that? She would smile and say..."HE told me when we talked last night" or "I asked him"! There were times when I would go to visit Genell and as we would be talking she would say " You need to tell me what is going on with you, because I know something is wrong, I have felt it"! There was  nothing I could keep from Genell it is hard for me to explain this but she was so close to the spirit!!! It is t hard to to express what I am trying to say!! I guess what I am say is I personally have never know anyone that had such an intimate close relationship with their Heavenly Father and her Savior Jesus Christ! Genell put everyone before her even the last five years! Even though she could not walk or use her left hand and arm....She still did so much for everyone! She could not write well but she would do her best and then as her daughter or someone that worked at the nursing home to print out the letter or poem or birthday card or what ever it was and then she would have Nichelle or I get a frame so she could give it to who ever she made it for. She just recently had a new quilt made for her grandson. She never stopped thinking of everyone else!! The day Tom had his biopsy I told very few people. I especially did not want Genell to know because I knew she would worry so much! That night when Tom and I got home from the biopsy Genell called. I said hello..... The first things she said was "Honey Bunny" (this what she always called me) "I want you to know that I put yours and Tom's name on the prayer roll today". She went on to say she felt like something was wrong and she wanted to know if we were okay!! At this point like I say she is so in tuned that I could not keep it from her. I told her about Tom! She said she had been feeling like something was wrong! She then said to me..."Honey Bunny....Don't worry for a minute everything will be fine"! She was right again! I could go on forever about this celestial sweet girl.... But again there are just not words to describe Genell spiritually!  I feel pretty sure everyone in the Plaza where she lived....was given a Book of Mormon from Genell!
Genell never thought for one moment she would not walk out of the nursing home!   She would go to physical therapy 3 times a week and then she would ride the stationary bike almost every day! It was just amazing to watch her he hoisted on the bike and some way she would lock her feet to the pedals and she would go for at least 30 minutes or more! Genell never called it physical therapy she called it the "GYM"!!! She would report all the time to me on her progress and often I would go and watch her at the "GYM"! Again I have never seen any one work so hard!!!! Go here to see Genell at the "GYM"! I feel like if I look up the word ENDURE....Genell's picture should be there for the definition! As disabled as she was she made sure that she never slacked at the "GYM"! Genall would even eat at night her Weight Watcher meals and would mostly just eat her little 100 calorie snackwells for her treat! She could be so funny!! Over the past while she would tell me...."Look Tamy, the "girls" are coming back because I am working hard at the "GYM"...." as she would point to her chest! She even had me pick up a few new lacy push up bras for the "Girls"!
I will miss my precious sister SO much!! I will miss the laughter, our heart to heart visits, my messages on my phone with her saying in her soft raspy voice...."Honey Bunny its me just checking in, I am praying for you...I am doing great and I love  and miss you so much"!! The day before Genell passed away she left me a voice mail....I am so thankful I did not delete it! I will listen to it often!! I will miss having the transport company bring her to my house! What a huge blessing that was the few times we got to do this in the last few months! She loved coming! Her and mine grand kids and a few friends would come and visit, she loved to visit!  I would give her pedicure and manicure, and we would end the night with bring home Chinese food! Her FAVORITE!! Just a few other Favorite things other that her children and grand children She Loved,... having a page boy, She loved to where sparkly jewelry. She loves flavored sparkling water. She LOVE manis and pedis!!!. She loved her flower and vege garden! Genell Loved to cook and was a great cook!! She loved serving in the Temple and in any and all church calling! She loved bracelets, She loves BRIGHT pink and purple lipstick and nail polish,,,,For many months she was sick and I would go to visit her before I left her I would put bright pink lipstick on her lip around the ventilator, Every one knew I had been there when they would come to visit. She loved her make-up and she loved to get her hair done!She loved Chinese food and snackwells! She loved her blingy reading glasses and she loved new purses!! Oh How could I forget she LOVES her dog Badit!! And any other dog she can get her hands on!!
I think the biggest thing I will miss with Genell is the spiritual talks we always had! Go here! Genell" FAITH....and her testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ were HUGE!!!! There have been many times especially in the last five years when my "flame" was gone, Then I would go visit with Genell. As I would leave her there was no way I could not feel the spirit of my Heavenly Father and my Savior! She always knew what to say! Genell was truly an Earthly Angel!! When I would go visit Genell I was the one that was blessed...I should of been the one to comfort her yet...It always seemed the other way around!!! Genell ALWAYS found joy in her live no matter where she was and what she was doing!!! Genell's hands never stopped serving form the moment she got up in the morning, to minute she ent to bed! EVEN from her bed and wheel chair she served in many many ways!!!
In a talk today  in church a young girl talked on "Charity, The pure love of Christ!! I felt like she was talking about Genell!!!!
This sister was explained there is 3 types of love....
1**I WILL LOVE YOU IF.... (Example) I will love you if you were thin or if you are pretty or if you have money or if you clean the house and the list could go on!
2**I LOVE YOU BECAUSE.... you are pretty, or because you are kind or because you are strong or because  you have lots of money and the list goes on!
3**I LOVE YOU EVEN THOUGH...... This kind of love is call the PURE CHARITY and LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!  I love you even though you are an addict, I love you even though you made a bad choice, I love you even though you  are not prefect ect...
This kind of love is not always easy!!! It is hard to have charity  and the pure love of Christ! And.... forgive everyone..  everywhere.  We all need to learn this kind of love and truly mean it!!  Heavenly Father loves us in this way! Love is a action work,,,,You have to show people you love them,,,,and  not just say I love you!!
***Charity SUFFERS long! -Genell!
***If you have charity this means you have patience for  your self AND HIS WILL!_Genell!
***Charity seeketh not him self!!-Genell!!
***This is my favorite and reminds me so much of Genell .......
Charity is not an act....It is an ATTITUDE!!!!!!- GENELL
This is what I saw in Genell the first time I saw her at our children meetings!!
I think anyone that know Genell  would completely agree that Genell is the perfect example of Charity  and the Pure Love of Christ!!! She has taught MANY to love! She has brought many to the gospel AND
Many love her and many will miss her! I know I will miss her more that words can say!! I will miss those "Honey Bunny"calls at least every other night!! I will miss her great advise
My Precious girl Just know how much I love you and how much I will miss you!! You will always be precious to me! You know I will keep my eye in the kids so you don't worry about them!
I love you for EVER ALWAYS!! You truly gave more than anyone I know!! I will miss you more than you know!!!!
Until we meet again....And I can't wait!

I LOVE YOU MY SWEET GENELL
and SISTER!!!