Funeral
This morning I left relatively early to drive to Gore (1hr 40 minutes) where I led the funeral for a 61 year old man who had battled cancer for a year. He had been a St John Ambulance officer and his wife still works for St John. I had married them 10 years ago. It was a big funeral service with quite a few speakers. After the service at the hall we went out to the cemetery for the final bit. I did not hang around too long at the "after match function", but hit the road again to come home. I called at the office to do a few things then came on home. By the feedback I got I think I did an OK job. I do hope I have a break from funerals for a while.
Grandson visiting.
When I got home my son, his wife and our three month old grandson had arrived. They are staying until Monday. I got handed the baby when I walked in, I watched him having a bath and then going to sleep.
It was like a day of two extremes. I watched a coffin being lowered into the ground at the end of life. I watched a baby curiously looking around the room and enjoying the experience of a bath, during its first few months of life. It was a nice balance.
Common denominator
At the funeral a whole lot of people got together and expressed friendship in the journey of life. I loved catching up on St John people I had not seen. I enjoyed even having two firefighters in the congregation. I looked around the room and counted up four couples I had married! I saw these colleagues expressing friendship and love as they farewelled a friend. Tonight it was nice too. In a relaxed way we talked with our son and wife. Then our daughter and son-in-law joined us. The same friendship, kinship in the journey of life was expressed. Somehow the guts of life is found in these sorts of relationships in the journey of life. "No man is an island, no man stands alone..."
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