Funeral

Was invited to play the organ for the funeral of our friend/ward member today. 

The worst thing?  I was extremely nervous.  And I apparently got the wrong closing song.  Anyway, the one I practiced wasn't the one listed.  Fortunately it was a fairly familiar hymn so I didn't do too badly. 

The best thing?  For me, there really isn't a best thing about funerals.  I know we do them for the ones left here on the earth, for closure, for seeing relatives/friends.  This one was very tender.  Our neighbor across the street spoke, they've been super good couple friends for 16 years and of course, our neighbor is an excellent speaker.  I held things together pretty well until he spoke.  Then I kind of lost it.  I'm such a cry-er.  And a sympathetic one at that.  There were many people watering their cheeks with their tears and sitting where I was - up by the organ - I had a "front row (so to speak) seat" to all the emotions chasing across their faces. Thus, the sympathy tears. 

Only an hour long, and it still felt like we were away from the house for a couple weeks.  Funerals are just too draining for me.  Yes, they can be uplifting.  And I love the emphasis on our eternal families and focus on the Savior and His teachings.  I just get too emotionally wrought.  And then I'm worn out for the rest of the day. 

We did have a good conversation after the meeting with our previous next door neighbors.  That was uplifting for sure.  I miss them so.  

Anf for the record:  there's to be no funeral for me.  Zero, Zip, Nada.  I know I've communicated that to my daughters.  I hope they accede to my wishes.  Too much heartache, too much work, too much too much. Just get together and go for an ice cream for me - probably my very favorite food.  I want to think I'll know.

It's cold and rainy and dreary outside.  So tonight it'll be soup for dinner.  Trying a new-to-me recipe.  If it's awful, we'll run out for a burger.

Tomorrow will be the storehouse and we'll be short handed by at least two or three people.  I'm dreading the clumping around in this silly boot.  

It's been an odd week - the door painting had to be postponed.  Our visit to our grandson for his 9th birthday wasn't really a visit - he and his Dad are both sick.  And as susceptible as I am to respiratory infections (and allergic to most antibiotics) I really didn't want to take the chance.  It's only been the last few days that I've had my voice back from whatever gumboo it was I caught on our trip.  So our visit with them was less than half an hour.  The trip down to Springville was in heavy rain, heavy traffic, heavy stress.  And it isn't every week we have a funeral.  So it's felt odd.  Really very little went as expected. 

We did split a Chick-Fil-A banana cream pie (with chocolate) shake.  And were invited to dinner at a friend's house - we serve with her at the Bishop's Storehouse.  She even sent us home with enough leftovers for dinner the next night, so that was two meals I didn't have to fix. 😍

I'm grateful for the rain and take comfort in our fairly new roof.  So very grateful for our snug safe home.