Today was a gorgeous day weather wise but I made the decision early on to not go out to the pool. I could have spent some time with my friends and have a bite to eat but I was going to Victory for a memorial service. It began at 3:00 pm but I was leaving around 2:00 pm to allow sufficient time for travel and for the visitation with the mourners. On my ride over there I called Mom to see how she was doing, despite having spoken with her the night before. Lynn and she had gone for coffee that morning and then the rest of the day was a quiet one for her.
Few people were there when I pulled in though some young men were walking around in the parking lot, possibly friends of Joshua's. As I opened the back of my car to get out a couple cans of soda to have during the luncheon, one of the young men came over to ask if I needed help carrying anything. Nope, I was good! Just then Nancy pulled in and did need some help so I sent him her direction. I carried in a box of chicken from Publix which smelled so awesome!
The ladies were getting things ready in the kitchen, several of them still there after having a baby shower earlier in the day. These people are so busy all the time! They converted the kitchen over from baby shower to funeral reception in a quick fashion. It was great to see the folks there at Victory again, but wish the circumstances had been different. Shane and Toni were greeting attendees as they came in, holding up nicely, it seemed. They'd had a week or so to come to grips with this all before the service which really helped.
I sat with my young friend, Erica, and another mom, Beth, who'd lost her daughter to brain cancer a few years ago, aged 12. We were a good crying group, that's for sure. We sang such lovely hymns including the closing hymn of "In Christ Alone". I was able to sing all four stanzas because the mourners needed to hear the message, especially those not in the Word. The meal afterward was excellent, bountiful, and I was even given containers of pasta salads and dessert to go home with me. I was worn out when I got home but watched "Jeopardy!" with my boy before retiring to my room. A crying headache needs me to go sleep early tonight.
The ladies were getting things ready in the kitchen, several of them still there after having a baby shower earlier in the day. These people are so busy all the time! They converted the kitchen over from baby shower to funeral reception in a quick fashion. It was great to see the folks there at Victory again, but wish the circumstances had been different. Shane and Toni were greeting attendees as they came in, holding up nicely, it seemed. They'd had a week or so to come to grips with this all before the service which really helped.
I sat with my young friend, Erica, and another mom, Beth, who'd lost her daughter to brain cancer a few years ago, aged 12. We were a good crying group, that's for sure. We sang such lovely hymns including the closing hymn of "In Christ Alone". I was able to sing all four stanzas because the mourners needed to hear the message, especially those not in the Word. The meal afterward was excellent, bountiful, and I was even given containers of pasta salads and dessert to go home with me. I was worn out when I got home but watched "Jeopardy!" with my boy before retiring to my room. A crying headache needs me to go sleep early tonight.
