The mothers of two friends, who live together and are both older than me, died last week. I missed the funeral for the one on Friday but I went to the second today.
This was a good funeral in that it was for a remarkable 92-year old woman. 92! That's a good, long life. Olive was sharp and with it until the end. She was not well these past months and she slipped away at home, with her daughter nearby.
Funerals for people who have not yet seen out their lives are sad affairs indeed.
For this one, I was sad for my friend and what she has been through caring for her mom, but not for Olive. She was a remarkable woman and an inspiration of how to grow really old beautifully.
At her funeral were her five children and a bunch of grand and great-grand children. How fortunate these grand children are to have grown-up with Olive in their lives and to have actually known her as older teenagers and adults and not just from the perspective of a young child.
The number of relatives present today and their collective memory that will span decades more is a wonderful celebration and legacy of Olive's life.
This was a good funeral that marked the end of a long life well lived.
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