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Here's what I did today.
I got up early and made the worship aid for Arlina's funeral tomorrow. Somebody else could have done it, but I wanted to. She had picked out the songs and the readings, so all I had to do was put it together.
Someone brought a ham the other day, and I had a hunk of it for breakfast. With some sourdough toast.
I answered about a million phone calls. One of Arlina's cousins wanted to fly in from Chicago, arriving at 9 tonight and leaving at 6 am tomorrow. She suggested I could come to the airport to visit with her. I talked her out of it (I think).
I took the worship aid to Kinko's for copying. Color copies are expensive. I won't tell you how much I have spent this week.
I got a haircut and had my beard trimmed. I went to the woman who used to cut Arlina's hair. She did a good job, but left it long enough to accommodate my midlife crisis and allow for the possibility of a ponytail. I had one of the moments that have become part of my life now--doing something alone that I always used to do with Arlina. She used to love to come watch me have my hair cut. These moments are like little time bombs that keep going off in my heart. They hurt.
I ran home and had a ham sandwich and changed into nicer clothes. I put on a red tie--she always wanted me to wear a red tie. As I looked in the mirror, I heard Arlina call me her "handsome boy".
We had a visitation at the funeral home from noon to 9 pm. I was there pretty much the whole time, except when I went across the street for coffee with one of my nieces. At 7 pm we had a vigil service. One of the guys who was ordained with me officiated. The room was packed--people were standing two and three deep in the back. It was such a beautiful tribute to her--she touched so many lives.
On of our nieces read a poem that she wrote for her aunt. It was beautiful. This is the same niece who spent so much time with us over the past months and helped to care for Arlina.
I gave a little eulogy. I spoke of Arlina's big heart, and her dedication to her family, and how she had taught me about faith. I talked about you--how you touched our lives with your love and support. How you surrounded us with your love.
We ended it by playing a dvd that one of my sisters put together of pictures from Arlina's life, to Clair de Lune, which was one of our favorite pieces of music. It was wonderful to see her smile in picture after picture. There was one picture, near the end, though, that just made me start sobbing. It was one I took of her when she was in the hospital. As I cried, I was surrounded by people who love me. It felt good. I'll put the picture behind a cut at the end, if you would like to see it. She didn't always smile.
I came home and put out the trash (trash day tomorrow), and had some ham and potatoes. Then I wrote this entry.
Tomorrow is the funeral, and then on to whatever comes next.
( picture )
I got up early and made the worship aid for Arlina's funeral tomorrow. Somebody else could have done it, but I wanted to. She had picked out the songs and the readings, so all I had to do was put it together.
Someone brought a ham the other day, and I had a hunk of it for breakfast. With some sourdough toast.
I answered about a million phone calls. One of Arlina's cousins wanted to fly in from Chicago, arriving at 9 tonight and leaving at 6 am tomorrow. She suggested I could come to the airport to visit with her. I talked her out of it (I think).
I took the worship aid to Kinko's for copying. Color copies are expensive. I won't tell you how much I have spent this week.
I got a haircut and had my beard trimmed. I went to the woman who used to cut Arlina's hair. She did a good job, but left it long enough to accommodate my midlife crisis and allow for the possibility of a ponytail. I had one of the moments that have become part of my life now--doing something alone that I always used to do with Arlina. She used to love to come watch me have my hair cut. These moments are like little time bombs that keep going off in my heart. They hurt.
I ran home and had a ham sandwich and changed into nicer clothes. I put on a red tie--she always wanted me to wear a red tie. As I looked in the mirror, I heard Arlina call me her "handsome boy".
We had a visitation at the funeral home from noon to 9 pm. I was there pretty much the whole time, except when I went across the street for coffee with one of my nieces. At 7 pm we had a vigil service. One of the guys who was ordained with me officiated. The room was packed--people were standing two and three deep in the back. It was such a beautiful tribute to her--she touched so many lives.
On of our nieces read a poem that she wrote for her aunt. It was beautiful. This is the same niece who spent so much time with us over the past months and helped to care for Arlina.
I gave a little eulogy. I spoke of Arlina's big heart, and her dedication to her family, and how she had taught me about faith. I talked about you--how you touched our lives with your love and support. How you surrounded us with your love.
We ended it by playing a dvd that one of my sisters put together of pictures from Arlina's life, to Clair de Lune, which was one of our favorite pieces of music. It was wonderful to see her smile in picture after picture. There was one picture, near the end, though, that just made me start sobbing. It was one I took of her when she was in the hospital. As I cried, I was surrounded by people who love me. It felt good. I'll put the picture behind a cut at the end, if you would like to see it. She didn't always smile.
I came home and put out the trash (trash day tomorrow), and had some ham and potatoes. Then I wrote this entry.
Tomorrow is the funeral, and then on to whatever comes next.
( picture )
