That's What It's All About

Family + Friends + Love= The Meaning of Life

That's it.  That is what it's all about. 

 

Snapshots of the past few days as we begin to grieve for my grandfather...

      Watching my daughter sit quietly in my Dad's lap for almost fifteen minutes.  No talking or reading, just sitting and being close.  This is something she almost never does any more.

       My son talking about how he was looking forward to the meal after the funeral - totally living up to Pap's constant comment about my son.  - "That boy sure can eat!" always said with a shake of his head and an amazed look.  I'm sure he was laughing in heaven when he heard that.

      Basking in the warmth of relatives I don't get to see enough.

Playing the "whose kid are you?" game.


      Drinking a few beers and hanging out with my cousins in celebration of my Pap's life.  The old man's humor is alive and well in his grand children. 


     The fear in my son's eyes when he thought that I had washed the prayer card with Pap's picture on it.  He wanted to be sure he knew where his "Gros Daddy rememery card" was at all times.  His pockets are where he keeps all of his treasured objects.
      
       Watching my seven year old son cry the entire way through the service while he clutched a picture of my Pap to his heart.  Feeling my heart break in three ways - once for me, once for my kids and once for my dad.

     Hands, hands and more hands - aunts, uncles, parents, kids, cousins - squeezing, rubbing backs, grasped in prayer, wiping away tears, offering tissues.


    Long,  strong, tearful and yet strengthening hugs.


Saying goodbye, touching his hand and face for the last time.

Crying until I didn't think I could cry any more - and then crying some more anyhow.

Watching my father weep.

Singing the Song of Farewell at the graveside.  My last gift.

Prayers and Pleas for reconcilliation between loved ones.

Laughing, eating and crying some more.

Long hugs goodbye and promises to meet more frequently and stay in touch better - and really meaning it.

Helping both kids hang up their prayer cards - almost the first thing they did when they got home. The boy chose to put it right near his bed where Gros Daddy can look down on him.

Listening to his stories (we've been recording them for years) with my children at bed and promising them that tomorrow I would make them each their own copies so they can play them as often as they want.

Crying some more, sharing favorite memories with the kids, and then crying some more.

Finding my daughter crying in her bed - she'd been so strong for her own Pap Pap, but now all the hurt came crashing down on her.

Healing myself and feeling thankful for all of the wonderful memories by viewing pictures and writing this post. 


I love you Pap.

Go now in peace faithful friend of God

As you take our love into paradise.

God's holy angels will lead you home

to the wide waiting arms of the Lord.

Clair Eash Sr. 
March 19, 2013 - May 5, 2012
Forever in Our Hearts

Memorial Quotes to ponder....

A Bright New World
We feel so sad when those we love are touched by death's dark hand, but it would ease our sorrow if we could but understand that death is just a gateway that all men must pass through and on the other side of death, in a world that's bright and new, our loved ones wait to welcome us to that land free from all tears where joy becomes eternal and time is not counted by years.

Helen Steiner Rice
“Death opens a door out of a little, dark room (that's all the life we have known before it) into a great, real place where the true sun shines and we shall meet.”
― C.S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces: A Novel of Cupid and Psyche

Feelings
We feel sad, for what we have lost. We feel poor, for the empty spaces. We feel rich, for we have each other. We will cry, for what we can't have. We will laugh, for our memories abound. We will hurt, for the love we can't give. We will rejoice, for the love we have received. We will be restless, for our lives are not whole. We will be peaceful, for we know it is not forever.

Nanette Hamilton

      


Indian Prayer
Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there. I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glint on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain, I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you wake in morning hush, I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circling flight. I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there. I did not die.

Author Unknown