MONDAY RAMBLINGS – The Legacy We Leave Behind

I had such an intense weekend. Occasion, a funeral - the sad part, but the rest, joyful, as I got to meet a whole host of my husband’s family members and saw some that I knew, but had not seen in many years. It was well worth every moment as they got to meet our children and we got to spend some quality time with them.

Having said that, funerals are such sobering events and this is the time when your thoughts wander off to if your life insurance is up to date, if your health is really what it should be and if your kids will have enough to survive off after you are gone. As I sat there and watch the immediate family members of the deceased grieved, my eyes often welled up with tears, as I gave thought to myself in the position.  I could not fight back the tears as the family members, overwhelmed with grief and clinging to each other for support, made their way to the casket for the last glimpse of their relative before the casket closed.

It was a great funeral as well thought out tributes were received, but what sobered me even more was when the officiating minister began his exhortation by saying, “From the tributes given here today your loved one was a great person, who left such great legacy. He gave you each other for a time like this.” I could not help but feel grateful to God that he allowed us our own legacy, two children and we are trying to make them into phenomenal individuals, equipped with the necessary life skills, because this is more important than the material things you leave them. I am also grateful that they will have each other for support in the grieving period and beyond, should we go before them.

On the way to this funeral, I was talking to a very good friend of mine, whose Uncle passed recently and the funeral was the same day, she said to me, boy so many deaths. I suddenly felt the need to say to her that, this is why we need to make peace with death,  at least I have, because death is sure and no longer dependent on old age. She agreed, but said she would not want to leave her children, (a teenager and younger, about 4 years old) at this stage in their lives. I totally got that, and I would not want to leave mine either, but somehow I knew that since they came to us as such blessing from God, he would make sure that they are alright, if it happens that we should leave them at this tender age.

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