The end is the beginning is the end

Yesterday morning, my Uncle Tracy and his family (from Metro-Orlando) and I planned my grandfather's service (with suggestions via e-mail from my mother) and I think we planned something nice and simple with what my grandfather would have wanted. One of the readings was Timothy 2 Chapter 4:6-8 and it was chosen specifically because it references "running the race" because my grandfather had run track while at Union (like his grandson) and that started a conversation about my grandfather's athletic abilities (because let's face it, when I can remember my grandfather, he was already almost sixty and...well...he had been a smoker since he was twelve) and I was amazed about the things that I didn't know about him.

After the planning of the service, we headed down to Spill'N the Beans for coffee and more conversation, and then back to my grandfather's house for even more reminiscing and it was...amazing. (I am using that word a lot, aren't I?) It also came up that I was giving the eulogy (to which my Uncle Mark, who is very ill right now and his treatments are causing him great pain threatened to shoot me if I didn't keep it short, because apparently I am loquacious) and that started me asking more questions.

We went our separate ways and met up at the funeral home at six for the family viewing. (My dad flew up from Florida, and that was awesome of him.) We all walked in and we noticed...

So, my grandfather had been on oxygen for the last few days of his life, and the nursing staff had been shaving around his mask. This gave him the appearance of having a goatee...

That my grandfather's corpse had a goatee. We all started giggling. Like really giggling. When I went to kneel before his casket, I was still giggling and giggled through the first part of my devotions.

The rest of the evening was spent talking about my grandfather and who he was.

After the family viewing, we were planning on returning to my grandfather's house to have pizza, beer, and more conversation. That being the plan, I went off to make sure to get more (and better) beer. My phone was on vibrate and in the pocket of my jacket, so I didn't get the two calls from my sister informing me that power was out in my grandfather's neighborhood. When I got back to my dad's rental with $60 of good beer, I received the news that we were headed to the Red Front for pizza and beer.

*sigh*

Anyway, we had another great night and great conversations, and we returned to our various abodes for the evening.

After a quick conversation (or conversations) with someone whom I felt that I needed I owed an apology because I have felt like an emotional burden to them, I went to bed, and then I woke up at 4 am to work on my eulogy.

Up and at 'em at 4 am, and I was working on the eulogy and a headache. I wrote down what I wanted to say and then consolidated it down to bullet points (and then, of course, put it on my phone) and I was happy with what I had written.

We needed to be at the funeral home at 8 am and I started getting dressed at 6:30 or so...

I had decided to wear one of my grandfather's bow ties (Union's colors) as a homage to him, as he was known for wearing them, and I thought it would be a nice gesture.

So...I haven't tied a bow tie in years (oh, but I rocked it) and it took me too long to tie it at home (oh, by the way, I had used my pre-rinse mouthwash before I had gotten dressed but I like to brush my teeth as the last thing I do before I leave, but I hadn't finished dressing yet and I was rushing out the door...I had to purchase a toothbrush at a Cumbie's) and I was working on tying the tie while I was headed down to the funeral home.

We had a quiet moment before loading the casket (where TEA saw his great-grandfather for the first time since before he went into the hospital and he burst into tears) and then the pallbearers (including TEA and my nephew Aidan and junior bearers) loaded the casket into the hearse.

We made our way to OLV for a brief wake before the funeral and I am thankful for all the people who came out. I was touched by some of the people who made the effort, and it is a celebration of who my grandfather was.

As a whole, we all kept it all together for most of the service, getting through the eulogy was difficult and I was unable to read, so I forgot some of the things I wanted to say, but...I made it through it.

As we were escorting the casket out of the church, "Oh Danny Boy" started to play, and at that point, TEA started crying, which got Aidan crying, and pretty soon...all of us were crying.

TEA was still crying as we were driving to the internment.

(A quick aside here, you see a funeral procession, you don't try to break into it right? But someone felt the need to make that happen. Some people have zero class, and I could just see her annoyed face [as she was annoyed by having to wait] if someone did that to her loved one's service.)

After the interment, we headed to Moscatiello's for a lovely reception.

Today was a fitting goodbye for my grandfather.

I want to take this to thank everyone for the e-mails, messages, texts, and calls about my grandfather. I appreciate everyone who took the time to care. It is amazing that so many people care and love me.