I parked close to where my parents gravesite is before the funeral started. I brought my brother with me. My mom's coffin was in the mausoleum where we had a service of family and friends.
It was like when my dad passed away back in the beginning part of 2009. We had the same set up. That is the way that mom wanted it. So that is what we did. We kept the casket closed and put a nice picture of Mom on top of the coffin. I remember some cousins saying that it was a nice coffin.
It was good that my siblings didn't have to pick the coffin as it was already done some 24 years earlier. You see my parents had prepaid for the funeral, including the opening and closing. So that was less stress on us.
It was my old friend from high school that sold my parents the plot and all. Actually I am glad that he did that.
So now my parents are buried together.
At the service an elder was to head the service, but he came into the hospital recently when he had a kidney stone attack, so my brother in law, my sister's husband led the service. That was good that he did that. Like the family service was run by family.
My brother and I both talked, first my brother, I could hear him saying that he is shy and can't express himself, but I surely heard my brother express himself and people later told him that it was a good talk.
I went up after my brother, of course I would say something, just like I did at my dad's funeral, and come to think about it, I spoke at my sister's funeral also. You see my siblings are 2 younger sisters and an older brother.
Now that I think about it, of my parents and my siblings and I, who were six in number, are now just three in number. Half of the family, my now late parents and my late sister, have gone on.
Well, death is a part of life, as my brother-in-law mentioned, on a gravestone, there is the year of birth and the year of death separated by a line. It is the life one has from birth to death, that is the most important. So that little line between the years of birth and death are very important.
There was a mention of one of my mom's sayings, It is a hard life, but it is a good life. I think that was the line as my mom said it.
When I did talk, I mentioned how my mom would always be helping people, I even mentioned how my mom helped me, when I was going through my divorce. You see in those days I was pretty sad, my then wife left and then divorced me. I heard that of all the divorces it is the woman that initiates the divorce about 70 percent of the time. I personally think that divorce should be harder to get, but we have this thing called, No Fault Divorce. I think if we get rid of the No Fault Divorce we might save more marriages. But that is another blog.
Ok, so back to the funeral service, I mentioned how my mom helped me in my mind to better handle my sad times as I went through my divorce, she mentioned that if my back is hunched and my head is down, then my body thinks, there is something wrong, but if one would stand up straight, like a strong warrior and if one would lift up one's head, then the body thinks, things are good. Then if one can smile, then the body thinks that everything is good.
Does not the scripture say, A merry heart doeth good a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22.
I said, a lot more things than that, but after I finished, I called my friend that sold my parents the cemetery plot where they are now, to speak, as he told me that he would speak at my mom's funeral, as I spoke at his dad's funeral that happened before the pandemic. He spoke well too.
Even at the grave site service as we moved the coffin to the grave site, a nephew of mine spoke, I liked what he said also. My sister also spoke at the grave site service, I think everyone that spoke my brother-in-law, my brother and my friend and my nephew and my sister and I did all speak well, and well of my mom too. But that is the way it should be.
My mom would read the Bible always and would listen to the Bible too. Did not Jesus say, Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:29.
So it was good to see friends and family. I would tell them that I tell jokes and it seems I am happy, but deep inside I am crying. Well, we all have to process this loss in our own way.
Also to you that read my blog, I told you before, that this writing, that I do is like therapy to me, and it is therapy that I don't have to pay for. So thank you for reading this blog and any other blog that I might have written.
So my parents are now buried together. Their works are done on this earth, but we that are living here on earth, must go on.
Let's end with a scripture, as it is written, Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this the whole of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13.
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Thank you, David.
Image is mine, taken with my Samsung Galaxy Note 9.