Funerals are unique events. At least in my experience, they are infrequent and have never hit so close to home as this last week. Emotions have been close to the surface and seeing special people in my life brings those emotions to overflowing. I've been trying to figure out why I've been so emotional. Sure, losing an immediate family member is reason enough, but I feel it has also been a combination of feeling regret and remorse for not having done more when I had the chance, as well as feeling an abundance of love and support.
I had a close friend state that he loved witnessing funerals and loved to see this expression of emotion. He gave me three key reasons why funerals are such wonderful events to cherish:
1. They celebrate the joy of life and a life well lived.
2. They bring families together in a bonding of love like no other event.
3. They allow us to feel the assurance of our hope in the Gospel and the verification of the Plan.
It's been a rough week. It's been tough. But, it's been a good week. I have experienced these three points in a very personal way. I know the strength that comes from such celebrations of life, from family expressing love, and from the assurance of the Gospel Plan.
4 comments:
Thanks for sharing this with us. This is such a beautiful side of you.
Thank you for your kind words. It has been an experience that I will treasure... not for the sadness, but for the overwhelming sense of peace and brotherhood and sisterhood, and LOVE.
This has been an amazing emotional time.
I'm always amazed how at times like these we do see what family means. Not just in our intimidate family but also in our wards. And less face it the funeral potatoes are always good.
That may sound like a joke, but I think they are outward expressions of love. When someone is born or dies it seems like we all come together.
I was at a friends house the other day. She had just had a baby. We were cooking dinner. I opened the fridge and there were several dishes with various ward members last names on them. That made me feel good.
Knowing Gods plan for us and knowing that funerals are really for us to make peace with that temporary sepeartion makes us realize that. Then when we all step in and help we realize how real it is.
Thank you for sharing. I like reading your blog.
The funeral potatoes were fantastic! I had a dear sister correct me when I called them that and she said, "no, I prefer to call them Heavenly Potatoes". I liked that. After an emotional day, it was really comforting to settle down in front of that meal lovingly prepared by ward sisters and friends.
It is an amazing experience to see the 'coming together' aspect of events like this. We joke as extended family how we don't see each other except for weddings and funerals. In some ways, that is enough visiting of extended family.
But the ward family, the neighborhood family, the friends family... that's where it really hits home that people really are kind and loving and caring and it makes me want to be so much better at being kind and loving and caring back to them in their time of need. I've been touched by the generocity and giving spirit of people.
I need to learn to be more giving! And not just at weddings and funerals...
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