Jewells of Thought

This morning I have to admit I was a bit irritated. I got up early and was ready to walk by 7 am. Mom had taken off with my brother to get milk so I got a little flustered by this when we have been trying to get up early to walk and today was the funeral for Uncle Dick.

We knew they had not gotten the area ready for the graveside service as of the day before. So I like getting our walk done and getting out of everyone’s way that would be working on it at the last minute. Still I thought it would be done already when we got there by 7:30 this morning. They were just starting to make dig at that point so it seemed.

In a way, as surreal as it was, it was also neat. We knew we would be back all dressed up for the services in just a few hours standing on the grass that was freshly mowed. Honestly I don’t know what it was today usually I get really emotional and there’s no doubt I was emotional just in a different way I guess. I knew that even as they were getting that plot ready for the casket my Great-Great Uncle Dick was already with Christ there’s nothing morbid about the process of readying the plot it was just so cathartic to watch them go about their duties. I had never been this up close to the actual process like this before. Even the casket arrived while we were in our last 10 minutes of our walk. A part of me wanted to watch them longer, but thought that was taking it maybe a bit too far.

Due to the area of where the casket was to go it was decided that the tent would go closer to where Uncle Jim’s grave was Great Aunt Ruth’s husband one of Uncle Dick’s surviving sisters, it was easier for the two remaining sisters to walk to and better for the tent accessibility. We have a big family. Uncle Dick was a part of 10 brothers and sisters and still not half of our family was there today. Grandma Rosie would have loved to see her family come out like this while she was alive. It hasn’t happened in a long time.

Now we need to pray that the service and the message the preacher gave will stick with various family members. It was Uncle Dick’s wish and his heartfelt prayer for them. The First Christian Church was small but our family and friends nearly filled the church this morning. Unfortunately maybe only a third of us have church homes and ministries we are affiliated with. I truly pray the message, even though the video music was turned off, still got to my family while they could hear the chords of hymn music played with the video of Dick’s photos. It would mean so much to him.