What perfect timing a Sovereign God has. Crazy Perfect! Today He swung the pendulum from grief to joy in the span of 2 hours.
At 1pm this afternoon we arrived at the funeral home to begin the hard, hard task of planning mom's memorial service. With much of the pre-arranging done ahead of time, the work wasn't hard, just emotional. We had moments of tears, bought stock in kleenex, and agonized over mom's obituary. Who knew it would be so hard? The obituary was the one thing mom wouldn't pre-plan. She said it wasn't right to memorialize yourself. Very true, but my, oh, my, it would have been easier! And like she knew we would need some help, she left an envelope in her "petty cash" drawer (she knew we'd be grabbing money for pizza deliveries!). The envelope was marked "Interesting Obituaries." It contained about 8 or 9 obituaries that she had cut from the newspaper over the past year. Just like mom to help us out, even in death!
What follows are the thoughts and feelings from her family. We loved her so, and hope somehow she will be honored by our memorial to her:
She was born July 21, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois. She married David on March 14, 1960, and together they raised three children. Throughout their 51 years of marriage, one of Susan's favorite activities was traveling with her husband, always taking the time to visit and discover new places together. Nursing became one of Susan's passions, and for 30 years she excelled, gaining the respect of her peers and favor of her patients before retiring in 2006.
She was a beloved wife, loving mother, cherished sister, dear friend, and devoted "Bada" to her grandchildren. She will be missed beyond words by all who were blessed to know her.
She battled her illness with dignity and grace. Should friends desire, in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at www.pancan.org or The Caring Bridge Network at www.caringbridge.org.
Survivors: Many, many family and friends
The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to Susan's wonderful doctors, nurses and staff. Special thanks for the outstanding care given by Dr. Randall Davis and his caring staff at Texas Oncology.
Even though we are not ready to let her go, Susan's joyful spirit will remain in our hearts forever. She will be dearly missed.
Service: Pending
At approximately 3pm, 2 hours into our funeral planning, we received the joyful news that a new life had graced this world and joined our family!
Welcome Casey Marcus Reed!!!!!
Lifts our hearts to see the tiny fingers and toes, the sweet button nose! Congratulations to my cousin, Adam and his wife. Dad was so pleased. He said that it only seemed right that when one life was taken from our circle that another should be added.
How refreshing that burst of joy felt, right down to our very souls. God is good, and He reminds us constantly!
Walking in Grace, Lifted by Love, Jane
1 comment:
Very fitting to have a joyous infant arrive. Aren't coincidences often reminders of magic?
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