My husband’s mom’s family met in Edson this past weekend to say goodbye to her sister/my husband’s Aunt Margaret. The funeral had taken place two weeks earlier in Maple Ridge, BC but she was interred in Edson, AB.
Margaret was a gentle soul that loved to laugh, enjoyed crafting and painting and had a great relationship with Jesus. She gave of herself more than most and asked for nothing in return. It was easy to see why see was loved and will be missed dearly by those closest to her.
I have attended many funerals having sung at quite a few while we lived in Trenton ON. I can only remember one other graveside service that I have attended in my lifetime and that was for my maternal grandmother. I found a sense of peace being outside as we said goodbye to not only Margaret but Dan, her son, whose cremated remains were also placed into the ground. We could hear some nearby ravens cawing and the sun shone down on the warm February day. I had to laugh to myself as a train went through town and Chris’s Uncle John, who was performing the service, had to raise his voice to be heard. My dad, who worked for the CNR, would probably love it if a train passed through during his funeral when he passes away.
Funerals deepen family connections
We have never lived in the same place as Chris’s family. We have visited over the years but not spent a lot of time with them. We got to talk about long lost family members and reminisce about the times we did spend together over the years. It prompted me to bring out our family tree book when we got home and see what information was missing that I should ask for now before it is too late.
You always learn something new about the person who has passed
I had no idea that Chris’s aunt had played the harp. I also didn’t know that she was born in Scotland and lived there for quite a few years before the family came over to Canada.
If you listen you might learn something
A family cousin had brought something called a scripture cake which I had never heard of but found fascinating. The premise is that when a mother taught her daughter to bake, instead of writing “honey” in the recipe, she would write a scripture verse that contained honey in it. There are several bible verses that mention honey, including Matthew 3:4, Mark 1:6, Revelation 10:9-10, Exodus 3:8, Psalms 81:16, Genesis 43:11, and Ezekiel 27:17. I searched a few different versions of scripture cake and bookmarked a couple that I would like to try. The cousin’s bundt cake version with Burnt Jeremiah sauce was very good.
You can take a step out of your life
If you allow yourself to be present over a few days gathering with family to say goodbye to a loved one and unplug from your social media, it can be quite relaxing though emotionally draining. I think that connecting with your emotions, the grief over the loss, the love for family members and the joy over sharing jokes and stories are all part of living life to its fullest.
Psalm 23 was mentioned during both Margaret’s funeral and graveside service. On the day of the funeral, this cute joke relating to the Psalm came across my Facebook feed. I just altered the name of the child to Margaret.
Thought sadness does flow, at funerals. The gift of remembering and being close to family is unforgettable.
Remembering a loved one is so important. Good therapy to share past memories and learn new ones that you didn’t know before. Grief is hard, but over time a fond memory will come to light and will bring a smile and warm embrace. Nice that the family were all together. I listened to the service (technology has come so far and when far away it’s much appreciated). Love to everyone and may Margaret and Dan rest in peace.