After school took 1st Ave. from 5100 south to 5400 north and found the funeral home ok - a slite two block override,then rite back w/ a deft u turn in traffic. May's wake was the second youngest person that I have ever attended a wake for . One of my sisters lost a baby in the seventh month of her pregnancy, and we buried the body in extra space in my six year old brothers plot. But May's wake was easily - and by FAR FAR FAR - the busiest most crowded wake I've ever been to - and unlike most readers (not all) - I've been to many. She had a preposterously crowded room of mourners, and then anothewr huge room was half filled.
Most wakes are, actually, a good time. Deeply sad, but filled w/ stories of the person and the times we all shared. May had many good times - but the fact that she and we were robbed of so many more good times that there was a compete air of depression in the funeral home.
But the worst was the parents. It was hard to see such good peole hurting so much. And not just hurting - devastated. What am I supposed to say? When my Dad died, I was on the south side for 10days or so When I got back to the north side - I was I Uptown w/ Jackson and Hon (B-Ball). I got in , and both Jackson and Hon came over, shook hands, said they were sorry. And that's all they could do. So, when the Dad told me he was glad to see me, I knew I'd done the only thing really I could - say hey, and........... just be there last nite.......
I always like to watch @ interfaith stuff who are the Catholics. We go up to the coffin, do our sign of the cross, and pray for the sould of this dead and all the dead. I was watching who else crossed themselves - or indeed, who even said prayers @ the coffin. So I did mine - I looked @ May - what a cute kid - said my hail Mary, then realised that Jesus actually gave us the Lords Prayer - then tried to remember all the souls that I could. Some are easy - My father, my brother, my sister, my two neices, and my son*. Then it's 'my mother, my sisters, my neices and nephews, their fathers, my friends, my co-workers, my soccer players, and all the students here'. And as I was looking into the childs face, prayers for her parents came out as well.
And it got me to thinking - looking down into a five years olds face - that the effect May had on her parents means that she will live on. It's very obvious that they loved her beyond bits, and how she changed them will make them better parents to her sister, better siblings, son or daughter, frenz, etc etc etc.... May did what she could when she was alive to fight the good fight. Her parents have been changed forever by her. And although we all wish it could have been more -hey, maybe one day she would have been lucky enough to go to my school and play on tthe team for me - but I think what she brought to the lives of the onmes who loved her best was enough for now. She did all she could -all she could - and that's what we have to take from this.
And do take it from her. There is time to mourn, but there is also - on the horizon - time to be better parents, married ones, frenz, teacher, etc etc etc etc.....
We really have notheing else to take in general, except keep on keepin' on.
*=these last four never really got officially born, @ least in the commonly understood sense.
Most wakes are, actually, a good time. Deeply sad, but filled w/ stories of the person and the times we all shared. May had many good times - but the fact that she and we were robbed of so many more good times that there was a compete air of depression in the funeral home.
But the worst was the parents. It was hard to see such good peole hurting so much. And not just hurting - devastated. What am I supposed to say? When my Dad died, I was on the south side for 10days or so When I got back to the north side - I was I Uptown w/ Jackson and Hon (B-Ball). I got in , and both Jackson and Hon came over, shook hands, said they were sorry. And that's all they could do. So, when the Dad told me he was glad to see me, I knew I'd done the only thing really I could - say hey, and........... just be there last nite.......
I always like to watch @ interfaith stuff who are the Catholics. We go up to the coffin, do our sign of the cross, and pray for the sould of this dead and all the dead. I was watching who else crossed themselves - or indeed, who even said prayers @ the coffin. So I did mine - I looked @ May - what a cute kid - said my hail Mary, then realised that Jesus actually gave us the Lords Prayer - then tried to remember all the souls that I could. Some are easy - My father, my brother, my sister, my two neices, and my son*. Then it's 'my mother, my sisters, my neices and nephews, their fathers, my friends, my co-workers, my soccer players, and all the students here'. And as I was looking into the childs face, prayers for her parents came out as well.
And it got me to thinking - looking down into a five years olds face - that the effect May had on her parents means that she will live on. It's very obvious that they loved her beyond bits, and how she changed them will make them better parents to her sister, better siblings, son or daughter, frenz, etc etc etc.... May did what she could when she was alive to fight the good fight. Her parents have been changed forever by her. And although we all wish it could have been more -hey, maybe one day she would have been lucky enough to go to my school and play on tthe team for me - but I think what she brought to the lives of the onmes who loved her best was enough for now. She did all she could -all she could - and that's what we have to take from this.
And do take it from her. There is time to mourn, but there is also - on the horizon - time to be better parents, married ones, frenz, teacher, etc etc etc etc.....
We really have notheing else to take in general, except keep on keepin' on.
*=these last four never really got officially born, @ least in the commonly understood sense.
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