Visiting Teaching Overload

I have been wanting to do a post on visiting teaching for quite a while but just haven't got to it. Recent events have made me decide I must do it!
Not long ago one of my visiting teachers passed away. Roberta was a healthy, active 70 year old woman. She went to as many ball games of her grand kids as she could and still had regular "get togethers" with her two best friends from High School. She didn't visit often because she served with her husband in the St. George Temple during the winter months. But when she did come she brought a sweet spirit and always made my day a little brighter. In late winter this year they came back to Idaho Falls for doctors appointments. Her heart was betraying her healthy lifestyle and was giving out on her. She received a pacemaker in May, and went downhill from there. On a rare morning that I was home and sitting at my desk with the blinds open I saw the ambulance go up the street. I couldn't fight the feeling that I needed to find out where it was going. I put it off as long as I could until I jumped in my car to go investigate. I drove past her house just in time to see the ambulance pull out of her driveway with her husband and son in cars behind. She passed away later that day. She spent her last morning on this earth doing something she loved. Her husband took her for a drive up to Palisades. I was so blessed to have known this dear sister and have her as my visiting teacher.
Now for her companion and my current visiting teacher. Ramona has been visiting me for quite a few years. She is 78 and her health has not been great for some time. She comes faithfully on the first Thursday of every month. She lives across the street and visits me and my next door neighbor, she drives to my house. When she leaves I walk her down my stairs and to her car. Her husband's heart is giving out on him but he still rides his bike around the block almost everyday, he was substitute teaching until this year. The thing that amazes me the most about this couple is that they are raising an 11 year old grandson. They have had him since he was 2. Ramona is a perfect example of what a visiting teacher should be. She comes faithfully, gives a meaningful lesson, brings an occasional note or gift, and shows me genuine love and concern. Again, I am so blessed to have this sister in my life.
Last year my companion and I were having a hard time finding a time to visit our ladies. It was just a crazy month for all of us. We decided that the only way to get everyone was to get together for breakfast, so we set up a time to eat at her house. Before the day came we ended up inviting the walking buddy of one of the sisters, then the visiting teaching companion of another sister, and then the walking buddy of my companion. There were seven of us that came together for that breakfast. We had such a good time that we decided to continue the event every other month. Of course it was no longer visiting teaching but a great friendship came from it. One morning in June we had a bitter sweet breakfast as we said goodbye to one of the sisters who is now serving with her mission president husband in Nova Scotia. My life has been and will continue to be blessed by these sisters.
In January they put all the names of the sisters in a hat, shook it up good, and assigned routes as they pulled out names. Well, I'm sure that isn't what they did, but it seemed like it. I was going to write about my new route but maybe I should keep this positive. I will just say that my route is the weirdest situation I have ever been in. In my nearly 35 years of being a visiting teacher I have never considered myself a "bad" visiting teacher. Ya, I've missed visiting a month here and there and struggled getting to know some of the sisters, and probably missed the opportunity for service sometimes, but I've tried hard to do my best, but not now. It is hard! You would think that you would feel grateful when you find out your visiting teaching was done for you on the first of the month and you are off the "hook". But it makes me sad that I will not have the opportunity for these sisters to bless my life this month. I do take the chance to visit with one of the sisters at church but she cheerfully reminds me that I don't have to come this month, it was taken care of. Whatever, I am ready to talk to the RS pres. about it and ask for a change, something I have never done before.
Our RS lesson today was about Visiting Teaching, just what I needed...NOT!!! I don't need any more reminders that right now I am a "bad" visiting teacher, and worse, I have a rotten attitude about it!
Just on a side note- Dave and I just got new home teachers. So did our new home teacher, his is Dave. They talked today, we are going to dinner this week so they can both do their home teaching at the same time. We have a lot in common- We both have divorced daughters with children living with us and mom's that are needing a little more help in life. Hmmm, I think I am excited for this!