A Good Day

Today, started off great. Wayne and I woke up at 8 and it felt good to have such a good night's sleep. I got ready, went to a memorial service Odyssey Hospice was hosting for the patients who had passed in the last year, at Forest Park Funeral home. I met Roy, Karla, Kayli, Tiffany and Sherri there. Bill and Sharon Preston was also there to honor Shelly, their daughter.

It was started off with prayer and a soloist sing Amazing Grace. Then a story was told about a set of twins talking in the womb at conception. (I'll try and get that story and post it, it was too good to wing it) A month before, they had asked for a picture of our loved one. With that they played a beautiful song while a dvd was played of our loved ones. Next came the calling out the names of our loved ones. When our loved one was called, family and friends were to stand up and remain standing til all had been called. We all read scriptures from Psalm. At some point someone else read a poem about letting go.

To end the service a bagpiper entered the chapel playing as he was walking up the aisle up to the front and then back down the aisle with all of us filing out behind him. The musician was wonderful at his talent, but I must say, I already hear with one ear. It was extremely loud and shrill.

He led us outside where he stopped playing, to gather around to watch them release 10 - 15 white doves. This was by far the icing on the cake. I had never seen this done before. Just as they told us.... after being released, some lagging behind, they grouped back together in the air, forming a V, circling the area a few times performing like the "Blue Angels". We were told they were getting their bearing so as to fly back home. They likened it to us letting our loved ones go to return home to our Lord and Savior. It was something to watch as we peeked thru the trees watching their graceful show. Thank you God, for giving me the visual.

Afterwards, we went back inside for refreshments and to visit with the hospice members. I had grown to really love one of the nurses tending to Kathy while she was in the hospice house. I could tell she really loved what she was doing. I was able to visit with her and discuss becoming a volunteer for them in some way.

I gotta tell ya, though.....Seeing the picture of Kathy on the screen, knowing it was taken just a month before she died, STILL sends me in a spin. It happened so fast, we knew we were losing her, we didn't know it would be so fast. I still find myself about to call her or expecting to attend some function with her. We always went together.

It was a good day, and I'm labeling as I see it.