The Wake

(For those of you in the "blogging world", you know how therapeutic writing becomes. It starts out just to post pictures of your family and then it becomes much more. Today, I need some "blogging therapy" so I'm going to write...)
Last night, I was given the opportunity to serve Mama Web's family after they returned from the family viewing. I was asked by 3 of Mama Web's closest friends from college to help and of course I jumped at the opportunity.
I was the first to arrive at the house...everyone had gone. The house was quiet and there were pictures everywhere of Mama Web and her family. Not pictures that people had just put up because she had passed and they wanted to remember her but pictures Mama Web had purposefully placed throughout the years...and there were tons! Did she know how helpful those would be later? I was so grateful for those pictures. First, I was grateful because she looked so beautiful. Her last days, her body didn't look the same and I was so happy to see her how I wanted to remember her and how I want her children to remember her. Second, I was grateful for the kids. They are constant reminders of her presence with them. A reminder that she loved them dearly. A reminder of how she looked when she was healthy. She has no more pain now and is more beautiful than ever. I grinned with gladness.
So, the family returned from the viewing and we served them dinner. We tried to stay out of their way but they were gracious and visited with us.
Papa Web gathered everyone around to tell them good news...Chase had made the select baseball team! We all wept! God is good! He knew that sweet little boy needed that. His mama would have been so proud!
They wanted us to watch the DVD of her life and it was precious...her arms constantly squeezing the others in the picture. The music they picked out was perfect, too! Songs of praise! Songs of God's grace! Songs of God's love...even in the midst of sadness and mourning.
After the DVD, we visited and I got to meet some of the family members Mama Web and I had prayed for over 3 years ago. There had been such restoration. As we made the connection, I looked around to tell Mama Web that I met who we prayed for...then realized she wasn't there.
She would have loved to be there. She would have just got in peoples' faces to ask how they were and listened contently on every word. She would have made everyone there feel like the most important person.
As I drove away, I wondered why we don't get together like that more often. Why does it take a Wedding or a Funeral to bring us together?
Lots of things to ponder today.
It is raining and I am sad.