It was early and we were staying at a hotel and heading over to the house to wait for the car but before we left I grabbed my ipod to listen to some music. I find that when I listen to music I can focus on larger things than what is happening in that moment. I heard some great tunes again from mercyme and also from wide awake and our friend scott leger. He sings: ” I know love is more than a feeling. But I would give anything to touch you now. I wish that I could get to you somehow.” So I am listening to this and thinking about everyone around me and how we are all feeling the same miserable feelings. Just hoping to feel better somehow. Wondering how she could have been called to heaven. Then the comotion begins again and it is time to leave. We get to their house and I am talking with Uncle Jerry and he gets upset because he turned around at the back door and saw some flowers that Aunt Betty would always water just about the time they were to leave. They might be rushing out the door and she would turn around and see those flowers and say something like look at those flowers they need some water. Then he went on to say “you know Aunt Betty did not want to go anywhere early. We would be ready and dressed to go somewhere and I would say let’s just go but she would tinker and do things until it was the time we were ready to go”. So I know it is silly but this brief discussion had a huge impact on me because I felt comfort that she had stayed on this earth as long as she could even though we wished she was still there. I got a peace that nobody was going to make Aunt Betty leave before it was time to go. Thank You for letting her stay with us this long.
We spent a about an hour at the house and shed some more tears and more laughs. When it was time to go we all got in cars and drove to the church. I was really in shock I could not look at anyone and I did not want to see anyone that would make me lose it. So I pretty much stared at the floor. The music was rough but the service was perfect and the minister very good. We left the church and went to the burial site. I can’t do the site justice in words but the location out is out in a large valley with huge sweeping views in all directions under a warm sunny sky with a great SC breeze that keeps you cool. The cemetery is about a mile out a small road not far from the house.
As we sat listening to the minister at the site a butterfly landed on the flowers on the casket. What a great tribute to the beautiful things God created in this world like Aunt Betty.
After the service we went back to the church and had lunch and got some more time together. The church is small with a beautiful red and white exterior and a white steeple. Inside there were about 20 or 30 rows and completely packed at the time of the service. The were was a choir bay beside the minister where Betty and Jerry sung on Sundays. And of course the red carpet that I stared at for most of the service. It had a great fellowship hall and kitchen area off the side. There were some pictures of the church luau party including pictures of Betty and Jerry dancing the hula.
We left the fellowship hall and again went back to the house one more time. We hung around there and a few changed clothes then we drove back to the site. We shard a few moments together as a family and embracing each other and promising to stay in touch better. I hope and pray that we will be able to come back soon as I want my family to get to see their cousins and know that they are part of something much bigger than our little family in Texas. Jennifer brought up how it was such a huge blessing for my parents to get to spend the last couple of summers out at the Buck with Auny Betty and Uncle Jerry.
We went back to the Buck that night and had some time with some of my dad’s friends from college. Don, Jim and Robin. We sat around and talked of other things and heard stories from their college days it was a nice distraction because leaving Blacksburg was very difficult. I wanted so badly to get home to hold Jeannie but at the same time I wanted to watch over uncle Jerry and keep him distracted.
Now I am riding home on the plane and my anticipation to see my family is growing and I am very excited to see my Jeannie and the kids.
I am flying above the clouds listening to mercyme again. The words to the song “homesick” are hitting me and I think of uncle jerry “Your in a better place I’ve heard a thousand times. And at least a thousand times I have rejoiced for you; but the reason why I am broken; the reason I cry is because how long must I wait to be with you “. Please pray for strength for him and their family.
I know Aunt Betty has gone home and that I will see her again soon and look forward to that day. But for now I am going to water my flowers and watch them grow and I will go home soon enough.
I too will always love you Aunt Betty.