Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Travels of late
For some reason, I get paid to go home for nearly two weeks around Christmas. Not one to argue, I packed it back to Missouri, thinking that I would just wander around the woods, and just chill for a while. After two days of this, we kids were about to spend Sunday afternoon with some friends, and we found out that Grandma had left this life for a better one. Mom immediately caught a flight to DC, but we went ahead and spent the afternoon talking about building farm equipment and watching the destruction of soda bottles. If you fill a 20 oz. plastic bottle to 100 psi with a bicycle pump, and then shoot it with a pellet gun, it makes a very satisfying bang. And if you have a couple young boys doing this, the neighboring ditches get nicely de-trashed, as all the bottles are gathered for use as feedstock.
Monday I did some stuff fo my car, so now it seems to leak less water, and probably less oil. Then at 10pm, we got in the car, and drove for Delaware, arriving in time for supper the next day. With 4 drivers, and with non-drivers placed out of reach of each other, the trip was pretty good. Over the next two days we prepared for the funeral, the cousins hung out, and we ate a good bit.
Wednesday night we had the viewing. Talked to people whom I knew, people my parents knew, and others. The cousins had a hard time not playing with the candles. My aunt had artfully put together a series of pictures and captions that covered some highlights of Grandma's life. It was good to have a history like that, so people could just stand and watch it.
Thursday we set up the chairs and all for the service. There is nothing like a gang of cousins when something needs doing, especially when there is an Aunt-In-Charge to answer any questions.
I didn't have good clothes, so I borrowed some from my cousin. As people gathered for the Celebration of Life, rain clouds gathered in the sky.
When the service was begining, most of the family gathered around for the closing of the casket. Some of us took the oportunity to place letters and items in the box with the body that once housed our grandmother. It was interesting how complex coffins are these days, and as I fought back tears I wondered how I would like my casket designed. My uncle earlier had said he wanted just a pine crate, and to be buried in his jeans and a flannel shirt. I tend to favor such simplicity.
Half the grandsons wheeled the casket up to the front, with the other half dozen walking behind. After some singing and prayer, the grandaughters read exerpts from a psalm, and then the grandsons joined them to sing "Children of the Heavenly Father", one of Grandma's favorite hymns. The service went on, with various people telling about her life and impact she had on so many people, and various of us trying to keeps young cousins quiet.
After it was over, the grandsons wheeled the box out, and put it in the hearse, and then piled into a van for the short drive throught the rain to the graveside. It was chilly and windy as we lifted the casket and carried it to the grave. We prayed and sang as the undertakers lowered the coffin into the prepared hole, and then my oldest uncle began shoveling dirt over it. Soon others joined in, and as the cold rain fell, we took turns filling the hole, ending the chapter of our lives that included Grandma, but not ending her influence and legacy that she had left. And as we tried to sing and shoveled weeping in the rain, we knew that it was not the end, that we would see her again, "For Jesus has risen/and man shall not die."
Monday I did some stuff fo my car, so now it seems to leak less water, and probably less oil. Then at 10pm, we got in the car, and drove for Delaware, arriving in time for supper the next day. With 4 drivers, and with non-drivers placed out of reach of each other, the trip was pretty good. Over the next two days we prepared for the funeral, the cousins hung out, and we ate a good bit.
Wednesday night we had the viewing. Talked to people whom I knew, people my parents knew, and others. The cousins had a hard time not playing with the candles. My aunt had artfully put together a series of pictures and captions that covered some highlights of Grandma's life. It was good to have a history like that, so people could just stand and watch it.
Thursday we set up the chairs and all for the service. There is nothing like a gang of cousins when something needs doing, especially when there is an Aunt-In-Charge to answer any questions.
I didn't have good clothes, so I borrowed some from my cousin. As people gathered for the Celebration of Life, rain clouds gathered in the sky.
When the service was begining, most of the family gathered around for the closing of the casket. Some of us took the oportunity to place letters and items in the box with the body that once housed our grandmother. It was interesting how complex coffins are these days, and as I fought back tears I wondered how I would like my casket designed. My uncle earlier had said he wanted just a pine crate, and to be buried in his jeans and a flannel shirt. I tend to favor such simplicity.
Half the grandsons wheeled the casket up to the front, with the other half dozen walking behind. After some singing and prayer, the grandaughters read exerpts from a psalm, and then the grandsons joined them to sing "Children of the Heavenly Father", one of Grandma's favorite hymns. The service went on, with various people telling about her life and impact she had on so many people, and various of us trying to keeps young cousins quiet.
After it was over, the grandsons wheeled the box out, and put it in the hearse, and then piled into a van for the short drive throught the rain to the graveside. It was chilly and windy as we lifted the casket and carried it to the grave. We prayed and sang as the undertakers lowered the coffin into the prepared hole, and then my oldest uncle began shoveling dirt over it. Soon others joined in, and as the cold rain fell, we took turns filling the hole, ending the chapter of our lives that included Grandma, but not ending her influence and legacy that she had left. And as we tried to sing and shoveled weeping in the rain, we knew that it was not the end, that we would see her again, "For Jesus has risen/and man shall not die."
