Mom's Memorial...

A memorial service was held for my mother on Saturday.  It was really a special time, a beautiful tribute to her. My father wanted a time where we could all share about Mom, and many of us did including the four of us kids, most of mom's siblings, and my dad's only sister Molly, a sister to mom just as much as Jo, Laurie and Carol are.  We came across Mom's signature recipe, Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie) written in Mom's handwriting, and we made copies of it to be passed out with the program. Casey, Jamie, Laurie, Carol and I all made trays of it, and we had it passed out on plates after Casey shared about mom's cooking. The whole church smelled like dill and feta!  It was a really lovely tribute, and so  "Mom"!  I'm going to try to gather everyone's words and share them with you here...For now, here is what I said:

I'd like to start by thanking my dad.  So many of us made vows when we were young, vows that we meant with all of our heart without fully understanding what they meant, without really knowing what it might look like to live up to them.  My dad showed us through 40 years of marriage, and especially in the last two years, exactly what it means, exactly what it looks like, to love honor and cherish someone, in sickness and it health, till death do us part.  Thank you dad, for being that example to all of us who watched you live it out.

My mother getting this disease was full of irony.  Ironic that she would develop a disease named for the Pride of the Yankees, my dad being the lifelong, die hard Yankees fan that he is.  Though don't we all wish Lou Gehrig were remembered only for being a great ball player and not for this awful disease that took him and my mother way too soon.

Ironic that my mother who always walked so fast would lose her ability to walk at all.  She would always leave us in her dust! I remember being a little girl and having to run to keep up with her.  I catch my kids having to run to keep up with me too sometimes, and my husband will see it and tell  me "Slow down Janet!"  It was so hard to watch her go from a limp to a cane to a walker to a bed.

My mother was the consummate care giver.  When one of us had a baby or had surgery or moved into a new house, my mother would come and take care of us. She would come in like a hurricane and take over, painting, cooking, cleaning, rearranging furniture, folding laundry, bathing kids, you name it.  I remember her doing it at Jamie and Brian's when they were first married and my husband Rob advised Brian,  "Just stay out of her way and do what she says."  I think Brian had already learned it the hard way.  She wasn't very physically or verbally affectionate with us. Her affection came through her feet and her hands, sadly ironic that she would lose them.

We all know how my mother cooked.  There's not much I need to say on the subject because we all experienced it. She would take a plain old chicken and some vegetables and turn it into something amazing.  She cooked everything so effortlessly and perfectly and she taught us all everything we know about cooking and entertaining.  Ironic that this woman who knew and loved food so well could no longer cook, and no longer eat.

But the ultimate irony is not a tragic one, it's a glorious one. The ultimate irony here is that through this awful, devastating disease, my mother has been made whole.  That through her death, she is now eternally alive. And despite our sadness here on earth, my mother, through her faith in Jesus Christ is now in heaven and is happy.  In Revelation 21 we get a little glimpse of our future hope, and my mother's new home. It says:

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying "Behold the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away." And he who was seated on the throne said "Behold, I am making all things new."

My mother has been made new today, and she is in paradise, and I can't wait to see her there.

by Shannon-September 3, 2011