On Saturday, I accompanied my Mum to a memorial service. A dear , long time friend of hers had passed away, just a week after her 65th birthday. She was a sweet, caring woman with a ready smile.
Her sons, in their thirties, presented a wonderful eulogy. Complete with a DVD slide show of Lynne and her friends and family throughout her life. They portrayed the woman we all knew and also let us in on some little stories and events that some of us hadn't known about. They made it a happy presentation, a true celebration of her life. Lynne would would not want us to be sad or bitter that she had died so young. She would want us to remember her with laughter and happy thoughts.
I am a very emotional person. I cry at commercials! I can cry at a strangers wedding. Memorials, I have no chance of keeping a dry eye! I don't know how these young men, who obviously cared deeply about their mother, were able to make such a wonderful, humorous and touching eulogy. She would have been very proud of them. There is no way on earth I could stand up to say a few words for a loved one of mine.
Memorials and funerals always cause me to remember not just the life being celebrated at that service, but all those who have gone before. Perhaps when death touches our lives we are closer to the spirits of others we have lost.
May they all rest in peace.
6 comments:
I love when memorial services and/or funerals are this way---I think they should be a celebration of a person's life and not a sad time---At times it is difficult to celebrate death but they are just an extension of life--another journey the person is taking.
Hope you have a good week.
I agree with vickie. It should be a celebration of the lives they have touched and those that have felt loved by them. Hope your week is a good one.
I guess when you have to stand there and talk about someone you love that is gone all you can see is the happiness they gave you and you would surprise yourself i think if you had to.
I, too am a very emotional person. I will cry at sappy commercials even if I don't want to. I don't know how those boys did it. While I agree with the sentiment of a celebration of life, for me, it's still a sad time because that person is no longer there. I think I could be a professional cryer cause it doesn't take much to drum up some tears. I'd like to be tougher, I'm just not.
Hey, if there's an opening for a professional cryer somewhere, sign me up, cuz I'm gonna rake in the dough! My natural reaction to most emotions are tears. Can't help it. So I don't blame you one bit for your water works. Everyone is different, though. Those boys may just prefer to cry into their pillows when they are alone.
Yes they are hard to go to, especially when it is someone you are close to. But when well done you can really appreciate who the person was and how much they are missed.
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