So, we headed out to the funeral. This would have been Sam's first day of school. Sam is Andrew's younger brother. I was explaining to Patrick how Sam and Andrew were related (he did not realize the night we got there where we were and who they were). Anyway, when I explained to him the relation and compared it to him losing Travis, it put it all in perspective for him and you could tell he really felt for Sam.
Anyway, we met at the funeral home, had a short service for him there, then made the procession to the church. The church was packed. and the thing that really touched me was that Sam's whole class (he goes to Catholic School) was at the funeral mass. It was a nice service. Anytime they started talking about Andrew and their memories of him, I started crying and again thinking as a mother and what Kevin and Cheryl must be going through. I just can't imagine. Kevin, Andrew, and Sam had just made a trip to Vegas 2 weeks earlier. Sam was in a Hip-Hop contest in Vegas and they went for that. Who would have thought that 2 weeks later they would be burying their son. I'm tearing up just typing this. I just can't imagine.
Yesterday, when we got to the funeral home, I was carrying Addison and we went up to the casket and Kevin and Cheryl were standing up there and Addison looked at Andrew and said "Why is he in there?" (I was mortified that K & C heard her say that) and Kevin looked and her and said "That's a very good question." Then she asked if he was dead. I was shocked that my 2-year-old understands the concept of dead.
So, when the funeral was over, I followed someone back to the school where Cheryl teaches and they had a luncheon...we ate and visited with Colleen, Eric, Linda, Ralph, and Mom and Dad.
I told Tina I was going to stay at Colleen's again tonight because we were leaving in the morning and I did not want to have to try to find my way back to Donna in the a.m. I thought it would be easier if we were all in the same location and could just get up and get going in the a.m. I was a little disappointed that we did not get to go back...I know the kids would have loved to play with the toys I saw on the way out of the garage this morning! Especially Addison. But my sense of direction is not the best and I was worried about trying to find my way back to Colleen's by myself to get Donna and Nathan, so we did not go back to Tina's.
When the luncheon was over, we headed back to Kevin's house and the boys hung out with Sam and we all just sat and visited. Cheryl at one point starting taking the flowers apart and making bouquets out of them and giving them to family and neighbors so we all helped with that. I did not keep one because I knew it would not make it home. I never end up keeping the flowers (to press, or whatever) I take from funerals. I decided after Grandma Moody's, I would not do that anymore.
Later that evening, Linda took us to Ted Drews. The boys stayed with Kevin and hung out with Sam and his friends. Their neighbor had invited the boys over to swim so they did that and later Kevin took them for frozen custard somewhere closer to their house. I left money for them to order pizza and get ice cream and took Addison and went with Linda. I got a chocolate sundae.
We went by Linda's on the way home, and Norma took me and Addie on to Kevin's house to get the boys and then Donna and I and the kids went back to Colleen's. I think Nathan had been with Eric all that time. Anyway, got back there and got stuff together so we could leave in the a.m. to get back home.
On the left, this is Dylan and his wife. Dylan is a guy that grew up with Colleen and Michael. Mike and Colleen are on the right, and they are my cousins, Norma and Bill's kids. They have an older brother, Doug, who is my age.
No comments:
Post a Comment