Monday, March 30, 2009

Celebration of Grandma's Life


The weather in Wichita was not good enough to fly, so we decided to take off and drive on Friday afternoon. We made it to Fort Wayne at around 4:00 a.m. The kiddos slept and it went smoothly. Grandma's funeral was Saturday at 1:30, with the burial and luncheon following. The service was beautiful, and I know she would have felt so loved and honored. We drove back home yesterday, and we are a little weary, but thankful we made it to celebrate Grandma's life.

The following is what I wrote and shared at the funeral.

A Tribute to Grandma

Caring, Discerning and a Good Communicator. These are some of the words that come to mind when I think about my grandma. Her life was lived as a good and faithful daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. Among many of the things I appreciate about her, I especially loved her ability to go deeper on any given subject. From relationships to global issues, she had almost always thought out precisely her position. Out of her honest and conscientious heart came many words of wisdom and insight. She understood others, and was good at communicating.. She was easy to talk to and relate to, never missing a beat. The past few years we talked on the phone every Sunday afternoon. I will miss those conversations, but treasure the talks we had.

Grandma loved animals more than anyone I know. She always had a soft spot in her heart for them. She had all kinds of dogs and cats in her lifetime, and if dogs and cats go to heaven, I’m sure she they have taken residency with her.

I always admired the love she had for my Grandpa, and the love he had for her. They were married 59 years, and I know that when he left this earth, it left an enormous hole in her heart. She was strong and courageous and kept living life, even though it wasn’t easy. When talking about grandpa, and how much she missed him, she would often say, “When you lose your mate, you’ve really lost something.” The power of her love, even after 12 years of living single still burned in her heart. That kind of love is special and unique.

Grandma, you have given me many gifts, which I will not forget. Thank you for raising my dad to be a Godly man. Thank you for being faithful to God, to your family, and to your friends. Thank you for being engaged and interested in others even until the very end. Thank you for your love and words of wisdom. I will do my best to honor you by passing on the gifts you have given me. I love you.

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