Saturday, January 29, 2011

Sore Eyes

Today was the funeral for the sister of my friend Sue.  It was as tough a day as expected.  When someone so young and with so much ahead of them dies it just makes it inexplicably tough.  I always cry at funerals (and weddings too, for that matter) and I was fortunate to sit with two of Sue & Mike's card playing friends at the church.  I think I threw out about 2 pounds of soggy tissues at the end of the mass.

A friend of Sue's other sister and I went back to the house to get the food ready and greet the mourners as they arrived later following the trip to the cemetery.  We had a lot of things to put out and thankfully Annette made the coffee.  She left to pick up the Chicken Shack order while I continued to work on the platters, etc., when all of a sudden guests started to arrive.

You know that feeling when you're expecting company and there's still so much to do and people start to descend on you?  Yeah, that was me.  If my contacts weren't so filthy from crying, I would have been moving around a bit faster.  Thank goodness for my readers!  The first few guests were very helpful and we were ready by the time Annette came back with the chicken.  There was a large crowd of family, friends and neighbors -- I am sure it was a comfort for the family to see and feel so much love.

The first thing I did when I got home tonight?  No, it wasn't kick off my shoes.  I headed straight to the bathroom and tossed out my contacts.  My eyes are still horribly puffy, tired, and sore but that will be gone in the morning.  The pain Jennifer's family is feeling will last much longer and the hole in their hearts will last forever.  She was loved by so many and it was my honor to help out today.

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