The day before Mom's memorial service, the relatives arrived. It rained. (Also, the day before Mom's service, the cultured marble guys came to install the new shower. Which is significant only because they used a product that smelled to me like bondo and filled the whole house with a pungent chemical smell. Which handily concealed the mildew smell from the other shower leaking. )
We met up at church and were served a delicious, comforting dinner by dear friends. So lovely to have friends who are willing to be the hands and feet of Christ. It was good to be together, and having the dinner at church also allowed the musicians to practice, and for Dave to give a run-through of the service. More friends had offered lodging for my extended family, so everyone had a place to stay. (Again, the Body serving us with love.) It rained.
The morning of Mom's service, there was an optional viewing for family at the funeral home. (Optional because Mom had not wanted a viewing, but some family members did.) We had hoped to follow that with a graveside service for family, but it was still raining. Not raining like in the movies where everybody stands around with their black umbrellas, but big rain that made the world sodden and muddy and impossible to navigate. So we improvised and did the little graveside service in the funeral home chapel.
It was fine, but somehow unsatisfactory and unsettling to me. I meant to leave my Mom at her new place next to Dad; instead we had to drive away through the pouring rain and leave her there in the funeral home. I don't know why, but thinking about it still makes me teary.
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So sorry to hear about your Mom, Gwen, and to have to deal with rain on such an emotional day. I know this has been a journey you have not wanted to have to take with your mom but it has been used by God to help many who have similar walks to take in this world. I pray that if I should ever have to take this path with a parent or my spouse, I can walk it with the dignity, humor, grace and faith that you and your family members have left as an example. God bless you as you recall sweet memories of your mom in years past and even through this difficult period of time. May you have bonded closer as a family and to Christ. My prayers are with you, my friend. D'anne (Inman) Schnakenberg
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