I had wanted to personalize the op a bit for you her because you're a bit more updated, but I didn't have the moments to do so. You know that we had planned for her to come here after her physical therapy for further recovery. It was also considered that Grandy would go back to my aunt's if yet more physical therapy and/or home nurses were needed. If that was the case, I would have gone there for as long as necessary as well. The turn of events from mid-May to the late-May was definitely 180º, but what a reminder that we don't control what will happen. However, we had quite a few very special moments during her last few days and weeks.
Although I made a few changes, the following is still mostly copy-paste, but I wanted to share it with you.
To start off, I'm still rejoicing! That isn't to say that I won't miss her for I know I shall. Indeed, there have already been numerous times I've found myself about to call her or wanting to hear her sing her "Apple Tree Song". But each time I remember something, it seems I also think of a verse of Scripture and a song to go with it. My voice is now a bit rough at times when I'm speaking from all the times I've started singing.
We wanted her funeral to be a reflection of the celebration that is taking place on the other side, although anything we could ever do here would not even amount to a tiny degree of the exponential magnitude over there. My mom had the responsibility of making all the arrangements, but that was actually a blessing because we could ensure that it would be as it should be. And so it was. It was a time of celebration, not of her life on earth, but of how her life had truly begun.
Along with all the arrangements, the majority of the service would also be my mom's. (My aunt preferred to just enjoy the service, and my uncle would sing a few songs if his health allowed.) Although it wasn't the smoothest funeral service I've ever sat through, being planned with only a general outline to allow a sliding time frame because of all the things that might or might not happen, and considering all the things that did happen beforehand that should have thrown a wrench into it but didn't, it was simply amazing how things worked out.
After a few congregational hymns, Chelsea, Mom, and I sang Grandy's Apple Tree Song. Chelsea sang the part of my grandmother as a little girl (which was Chelsea's first solo), then myself as the "grown up girl", and my mom as my grandmother's mom.
My mom had asked me if there was something I would want to say during the funeral, but because of all the other things that needed to be done, I never did get a chance to put some thoughts together. Yet even that worked out.... My mom and I had planned to do as many duets as time would allow because my grandmother said she wanted a concert for her funeral (that is if she didn't meet the Uppertaker before the undertaker). So, the night before the funeral at midnight (because that was the very first opportunity we had had), while we were looking through all the different songs from a Christian quartet in the 70s that my grandma loved, we needed something to string them together. Instead of trying to put something together, we found something already written. I had previously printed out the op of this thread for my mom to read, and she took that back out, rearranged some of it, added some thoughts, and used it as an outline for what she could say!
Also, both my uncle and great uncle had the health and strength to sing. And the pastor gave a message as powerful as my grandmother would have wanted, with the Gospel proclaimed and glory given to her Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
I do want thank you for your support and prayers. The Lord has truly upheld us during this time, and His orchestrating hand has been demonstrated o'er and o'er. Also, thanks for reading my posts as they tend to be on the long side!
And, Walfredo, if you haven't called your grandparents already, I hope you will soon.
