Home Again

I am home again. To be honest, the weekend wasn't as bad as I assumed it was going to be. The funeral was actually very nice. I know that is an odd thing to say, but it was. In lieu of a eulogy, my cousin compiled a video slide show of Granny's life. It was nice... a little too long on each picture, but nice. Eulogies tend to sound disingenuous sometimes, but the slide show allowed everyone to see Granny at some of her happiest times. The graveside service was short and a bit wet because it started sprinkling so after a couple of prayers, someone said, "Let's go eat." and that was the end of the graveside service.

After the funeral things were over, we all went to my brother G's house. Most of my immediate family was there -- all but my brother in law P who had to work and wasn't able to get away. It was kind of a precursor to the big family vacation next summer for my parents', our parents', anniversary. It turned into a big cookout, reunion-type thing. We rode the 4-wheelers and played volleyball and generally just enjoyed spending time together.

It is strange how a death in the family brings out the worst in some people and the best in others and how even the smallest items are claimed by one family member because that family member feels entitled to them -- like the others have no emotional ties to anything. I would like to have something of Granny's to remember her by. I mean, I don't want anything big or valuable, just something small and useful like a jewelry box or trinket box or something like that. I just want something that I can look at and smile because it was hers and remember the lovely lady she was. I will leave the valuable items and the big stuff to the blood grandchildren. (Not that I don't think I'm important because I'm step, and it would be different if I had been closer to them.)

In the end, life does go on. We are all sadder for the loss, but as the chorus to Steven Curtis Chapman's song "With Hope" says:

We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no
And we can grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope
(There's a place by God's grace)
There's a place where we'll see your face again
We'll see your face again