As I mentioned last week, Nigel’s sister Sandy died.
She had suffered for many years from anorexia and died well short of the
years she might have expected. Undeniably
this has been very sad,
However, this week we have found so much in her life to be grateful for.
The reason has been the funeral.
People get excited about weddings, but to me a funeral is the superior
rite of passage:
Paul organised the ceremony around the grave.
Afterwards at the church, Pascoe and Benjy read lessons, Jo and Nigel
remembered the amazing things Sandy had achieved in spite of her difficulties. Perran read praising emails from colleagues
in the NHS where Sandra did very effective voluntary work.
Carenza read a letter from a new friend whom Sandra had made in hospital
the very day before she died. Abbi sang
a beautiful song anticipating Sandy’s future life in Heaven.
Women from Sandy’s church served the tea afterwards.
Friends and relatives got together and reminisced about Sandy and caught
up on family news.
God Himself contributed rainbows throughout the day and especially at
the interment.
As a churchgoer, I find myself at funerals fairly regularly, especially
those of elderly members of the congregation.
It is always a chance to appreciate the life lived, to give thanks and
to start the process of healing.
But the best thing is the intense spirit of goodwill which, for a few
hours, glues together a temporary community made of the disparate band of
friends and relatives who loved the person who died.
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