Yet Another Perspective Post

I started the day in the usual way - smooched my hubby, hugged my youngest (who is always the first kid awake) and headed to my computer with a nice hot cup of coffee.

My oldest kid needed iTunes help. I needed to draft several emails asking people to teach Sunday School or help in MOPS. I spent an hour on the phone with a dear friend who's going through some stressful times. Sons needed coloring pages. Teen daughter needed internet time. Clothes needed washing... regular day, right?

At 1:20PM my best friend's husband called and asked a favor. I said, "Sure. What is it?" He asked if I would come with him, my best friend, her mom and another friend to pick up their 18 year old son's cremated remains from the funeral home at 2:00PM.

I frantically raced to get presentable, and headed over to my friend's home.

I found her in the bathroom, curling her hair. She had big tears in her eyes.

Her boy passed away in May - I talked about it here. They had decided to keep his cremated remains at the funeral home until they could figure out what they wanted to do.

All in all it was a calm thing. We simply walked into the funeral home, they signed some papers, and walked out with a small box.

My friend is grieving, but life continues on. I know that regular normal life happenings seem strange and surreal to her right now. She knows her son is with Jesus - but we can know this and still be devastated. All that remains of her beloved boy's body is in a small box. All I could do was hold her.

Flash back to real life for me. Things have been prickly at church, because, well, people are people and we usually don't like change. Things get frustrating for me as a mother just juggling 5 kids and a dog. The incessant housework and chore-assigning gets old for anyone. The petty things that were bothering me this morning seem so insignificant now, because I can simply walk across a room and hug my living, breathing children and husband. How precious are these golden years when we are all together!

Solomon was right when he wrote about how it is better to go to a funeral than a party (Eccl. 7:2) but that's not to say that it's pleasant.