Remembering

Yesterday after naps, my sister and I rounded up our boys and Mom and Bryan (who had flowers in hand) and made a family trip to the cemetery.

Cemeteries aren't typically a romp roarin' time.

But every time I visit, I enjoy reading the gravestones of those whom I do not know. I gaze at their names, the years they were born, how old they were when they died. I try to imagine what they looked like, marriages, children, what kind of job they may have had, what life was like during the years they were alive.

It may sound a touch creepy, but I love people's stories.

As we trudged through grass and chased down runaway boys (no wait, maybe that was just me chasing), we talked memories.

For 'twas Memorial Day, after all.

As we stood at my brother's headstone, I found myself watching Finn play nearby with his cousins. And it hit me - suddenly - how life has just..........gone on.

For my brother, Matt, life halted in that moment when he passed. But for the rest of us, life has progressed. It was a beautiful October day when our family stood in that same spot and said a final goodbye. That was 17 years ago; I was a 13 year old adolescent grappling with the loss of my brother. Now I stood in that exact same spot as a 30 year old woman, watching my sweet son play with his cousins and marveling at the spin of life.

As the boys took turns climbing on Matt's headstone, my mom said something that brought tears to my eyes and sent them rolling down my cheeks:

"Matt would have loved having you boys climb all over. Because he would have loved you all so much."

We each shared happy memories of Matt. Kiki shared of their long talks when she was in college. Mom shared about the way he threw his head back when he laughed. Bryan shared of how tall he stood when he walked mom down the aisle at their wedding. I shared about how he cleaned and bandaged my leg after a bad fall at the tennis courts.

On the day of Matt's funeral, our worship pastor at the time, Pastor Mark, came up to my mom and delivered a sweet gift. He told her that he saw Matt in heaven with grandpa (my mom's dad). Grandpa said that he was taking care of him.

That is a treasure that our entire family has held onto since that day.

The hope of heaven is real. It can cover, like a balm, the loss that is felt when we remember our lost loved ones.

Hope is a gift on Memorial Day.

Soon

In honor of these so-called "End of the World" rumors......this song has been on my heart the last couple days. Matt and I were talking about heaven today and both teared up thinking about those we will see again some day soon. Even more so to 'be with the One I love'. It gives me goosebumps in eager expectation! What a joy we have to look forward to!