Memorial

As always, it was nice to see K's family - not the circumstances, but the time spent with them. The funeral related time was difficult, it is hard to see people you care about in pain. I'm not a big fan of viewings and there was seven hours straight on Wednesday with a lot of crying and mourning. K's grandfather didn't look much like I remembered, but several people who had seen him last week said the same thing, so I think it was a matter of the missing glasses and the makeup that masked all the age lines that make such a characteristic part of his face. K seemed to hold up fairly well, he had done a lot of his mourning after his last trip out there.

The service was fairly short, but it was hard to hear him eulogized by church people who had only known him the last four years and only really interacted in that one facet of his life. He had rediscovered faith in his last decade or so and many of the stories I had heard over the years did not quite jive with sermon we heard at the service, but if the spiel brought comfort to someone there, then I suppose it was worth it.

As a family, we relived a lot of memories, K's grandparents coming as Raggedy Ann and Andy to K and my halloween wedding, fishing trips and times in Florida, compassion and friendliness - this is a man who didn't really have any strangers in his life, only people he hadn't met yet. The first time he met my parents, he reassured them about my moving to Michigan because no matter what happened with K and I, they would be there for me. We will all miss him greatly, but are relieved to know that he no longer has to struggle with the pain and confusion that have marked his last time with us.