I didn't know the lady who passed away, but her grandchild and some extended family attend College. So, I was honored to go sing at her grave side.

I thought I'd been in every cemetery in the Valley, but this one had escaped me. It was a beautiful, small, country cemetery surrounded by acres and acres of undeveloped land. Something difficult to find around here.

As I listened to the letters and words from family and friends, I thought I would have loved this woman. According to her family, she was sophisticated, classy, cultured, talented, generous, and sweet. Somebody said "mostly sweet"...that was the word they used above all others to define her.

Her home was always open, she made her family feel special, she baked and cooked and sewed. She was a wonderful artist.

She was struck with Alzheimers about 6 years ago and was "very bad" for about the last 4. They didn't talk about that. They just talked about all the wonderful things she was to them in her healthy days.

They didn't talk about how much money they had, or how many things she owned, or how many expensive trips they had been on. They talked about relationship and the way she made them feel in her presence.

The interesting thing about this funeral was that only when somebody took me aside and shared some information with me did I know how incredibly wealthy this family is. It didn't come from the family...and you would never have known it by their conversation. That's not what mattered to them.

As I stood on top of that hill, looking around, I was told that as far as the eye could see in two directions was undeveloped land owned by this family. Goodness! It was overwhelming. But it didn't matter.

What mattered was that when they asked her to bake a coconut cream pie, she not only baked coconut, but also chocolate.

That when the granddaughter needed a special outfit for a function at school, her grandma made her the prettiest dress in the whole world that made her feel like a princess.

That when it came time to pay some hefty Dr. bills, their Grandpa sold off a sliver of land to cover the best care he could buy for the woman he would love forever.

That even when she no longer knew him, he went to visit her twice daily, and took ice cream for her every day.

Funerals are good for me.
Funerals remind me of the simple good that gets cluttered by the hectic pace of "life".

This one reminded me that relationship is a beautiful gift from God. Not only relationship with eachother, but with Him.

What kind of imprint do you make on the family and friends you are blessed with?

And what about the strangers you come in contact with?

Blessings.