I have dreaded this day--the day of burial, the day of the memorial service, the day of saying goodbye in a public way with friends and family by our sides. All of that, of course, was a first I so longed to avoid. However, the day was such a surprise to me. We first went to the cemetery for burial and were blessed by a cool August day with a light breeze instead of strong winds with the dirt blowing as so often happens in this part of the world. My cousin Stormy said all the right things in a short and beautiful way which brought a smile to my face instead of tears to my eyes. Because it was a private ceremony, the people who surrounded us were family and the best of friends so we were loved through that short time.
Lunch at the church was beautifully served and prepared and a surprise awaited us when we got in the room to eat. One of the church members had gone through years of photos taken at church events and the actually building of the church, and printed up all the pictures that my Dad was in. It was such a great memorial to his love of the church and the activities within the church. Dad was so instrumental in the building of the new church so there were lots of pictures of him with tools in hand and overalls on doing whatever task was at hand for the day. Those were happy days for Dad, to be working hand in hand with others from the church to build a new place to worship the God they love. Many of the people in the photos with Dad had already claimed their place in heaven so I'm sure a good old reunion was taking place with stories being swapped about that big building project.
The memorial service was also led by my cousin Stormy who lost his dad this month as well. He did such a wonderful job that again, all I could do was smile at the stories and affirmations he gave about Dad and his character. I found out when I got to Haskell upon learning that Dad had taken a turn for the worse that he and Mom wanted me to play "How Great Thou Art" at the service, and I had fretted about it up to the moment I sat down. It went very smoothly thanks to answered prayers, and I believe he was glad he spent all that money on piano lessons for so many years!
Today was a good day, and as one of our lifelong friends said, "This is the first time I've been to a funeral and enjoyed it" because it was so upbeat and positive--and short, which Dad had harped on for years!
Dad was such a gentle man, a kind man who never wanted to hurt anyone's feelings or give offense; a man of integrity whose word could be counted on; a man who worked hard and taught his children to do likewise; a man who seldom complained; a man who fiercely loved his family; a man with such a great sense of humor who was always picking on us about something to get a rise out of us; a man who loved to laugh; a man who had a soft heart and wasn't ashamed to cry; a man who loved children and who was deeply loved by children; a man we will miss the rest of our lives--not with sadness but with joy.
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