I have a lot to catch you up on in the coming weeks as I have been
writing this last month but have just been too distracted to get anything
posted here. However, a quick summary of the goings-on in my world since
you last heard from me:
• I had a wonderfully fantastic five day trip to Portugal;
• Followed by a gorgeous last week in Berlin;
• Followed by a busy two weeks back on the East Coast including a night
at the farm, a night in DC,
six nights in Norfolk, a night in Duck/Outer Banks,
a night in DC, three nights at the farm and my
arrival in Pittsburgh last
Thursday night.
As always, it’s been a whirlwind this last month, so hopefully you’ll
forgive my absence!
Arriving in Pittsburgh last Thursday night by bus from Frederick,
Maryland, I went straight to the funeral home attend the viewing of our dear Uncle
Bill. He was Grandma Varley’s younger brother who I have many memories
with over a lifetime of visits. He was a sweet, kind, quiet soul who
loved wearing blue, playing (and winning!) Bingo, watching game shows, eating
(especially sweets and cookies), collecting coins, and carving people’s name in
a wood puzzle like thing. He never married or had his own kids, but he
loved his extended family and was loved by a gaggle of nieces and nephews,
grand nieces and nephews and great-grand nieces and nephews. He served in
World War II and was honored beautifully last Friday morning by a group of vets
who met us at the cemetery to help us lay Uncle Bill to rest with a flag draped over
his coffin, the traditional playing of Taps, a “three volley salute”
(constituting of three rounds of fire) and, finally, the beautiful and
ceremonious folding of the flag. The men took the entire ceremony from
start to end very seriously, carrying much pride and honor through every motion,
ensuring that the flag was folded to their high standard and given to my Aunt
Peg along with the shells of the bullets fired wrapped within. Even as I
carried the flag the ten steps from my Aunt Peggy to the car, the men saluted
and held their salute until the car holding the flag was out of sight. It
was simply beautiful and such a wonderful honor for our dear Uncle Bill.
As I knelt by Uncle Bill at the funeral home to say my goodbyes, I
thought of who he has been to me in my life, smiled at so many memories with him and
thanked him for them. And, as I touched his hands, hands that so reminded
me of my sweet Grandma Varley’s hands, I couldn’t help but think of her
too. Five years ago when she passed away, I was unable to attend her
funeral as I had just arrived in Uganda and was simply too far away. It was a
very difficult time to be so far away from all of the people I loved and not be
able to say that final goodbye. I sent a letter to be read during her
funeral, but it just wasn't the same as being there myself (click here to see a tribute to Grandma Varley
on my Uganda blog). So last week, as I said goodbye to Uncle Bill,
it gave me a chance to say goodbye to Grandma in those traditional ways
too.
As we sat around the table after the viewing and ate dinner, we not
only celebrated Uncle Bill's life and mourned his death, but I listened as my
parents and aunts and uncles spoke about the births of my cousins, sisters and
me. During that conversation, we were also surprised with the news that
one of our cousins was having contractions and would possibly have her baby in
the coming days. I found such a calming peace remembering Uncle Bill and
others that have passed away, whilst knowing that the cycle of life is
never-ending and continuously brings us all together throughout our journeys.
As we were saying goodbye to one great man and soul, we were preparing to welcome
another unique soul into the world. There is something beautifully peaceful
in the combination of memories of lives lived and hopes and dreams for the lives yet to come.
I was honored to read the First Reading at Mass and so happy that it
was such a beautiful one:
A First Reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes (of course it had to be
such a hard one to pronounce!), Chapter 3, Verses 1-15
There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair
under the heavens.
A time to give birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to
uproot the plant.
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to
build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to
dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them; a time to embrace,
and a time to be far from embraces.
A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast
away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to
speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of
peace.
What profit have workers from their toil?
I have seen the business that God has given to mortals to be busied
about.
God has made everything appropriate to its time, but has put the
timeless into their hearts so they cannot find out, from beginning to end, the
work which God has done.
I recognized that there is nothing better than to rejoice and to do
well during life.
Moreover, that all can eat and drink and enjoy the good of all their
toil—this is a gift of God.
I recognized that whatever God does will endure forever; there is no
adding to it, or taking from it. Thus has God done that he may be
revered.
What now is, has already been; what is to be, already is: God retrieves
what has gone by.
