I saw some old high school friends that I hadn’t seen in quite a while. Isn’t it a nice surprise when you see someone you didn’t expect to see? Your initial surprise as you start to recognize familiar and then some not so familiar faces. The not so familiar ones makes you realize how fast time can pass by and not even realize that it had. The initial glance. Then the greetings. The hugs. The kisses. And then more hugs. Even tears. Oh, don’t get me started on the tears.

I also saw aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, co-workers, classmates, inlaws and even ex-inlaws. So many good people gathered in one place to honor the life and times of another very good person: my mother.

My mom passed away in Sacramento, CA on July 4th, 2008 and our close family never left her side throughout her journey.  Her courage and faith during her last moments with us was very inspiring. 

There was so much to do afterwards. No one tells you that part of it. Arrangements. Phone calls. Visitors. Documents. No one tells you how numb you’ll feel. And the constant eating out.

Our church had asked us the day before the funeral how many people we had expected. You see, they were planning on serving brunch after the services. Sixty-five, maybe seventy we told them. Try over two hundred. How does news travel so fast? Two hundred people from as far away as Boston, San Diego, San Bernadino, Las Vegas, Seattle, all telling their own stories of fond memories of my mom. What more of a tribute to my mom could you ask for than personal testimonies from people who loved her and knew her best? I could write forever about my memories of my mother but I’ll keep most of them to myself for now. The memories of fifty-five years married to my dad or the forty-something years spent taking care of her baby boy (me!).

My mom was the best crafts person around. Best florist. Best seamstress. Best cook. Best Bunco player. Best hostess. Best mom and grandma. And, best friend. Okay, in all truthfulness, not the best joke teller but she’d still make you laugh out loud every time you talked to her.

After my mom’s service, and as I spoke to my friends and family that I hadn’t seen in a while, I realized that I had joined the ranks of so many of them who had already lost a parent. I can’t say I know how they feel because…I don’t. But I can empathize with them. We can share her memories and I can recall my memories of my mom when ever I want and begin to miss her all over again.