Tomorrow morning I fly to Florida with all my children to meet up with family and friends for Monday morning's funeral service for my mother-in-law. Some family members, including my husband and his brothers have been there already for a few days to make arrangements with my father-in-law who knew all her last wishes.
Finally, everything was organized and in place , and everyone met at an aunt's house for dinner in anticipation of more family and friends' arrivals tomorrow.
It turns out that the service on Monday will be for both of my husband's parents. My father-in-law died in the arms of his three sons tonight after telling a funny story and suffering a massive and instant heart attack. After the joke his eyes just rolled back in his head, and after a few more short, unconscious moments of rapid heartbeats, it was done.
Tonight and tomorrow night they will be lying in the same funeral home together, after a very long year of suffering. One sick, and one sick with sorrow for his suffering sweetheart. On Monday we will say farewell to both of them. So bittersweet. The Reverent said that they had heard of cases like this, but it had never happened in their church. It will be such a difficult day, especially for all the grandchildren.
Here is my father-in-law's favorite hymn, which I found out when I took him to the Mother Church in Boston this summer. His mother was a Christian Scientist and sang this hymn to him at bedtime. She was a well known practitioner, but he had never been to this awe inspiring church. His favorite thing was the soloist singing so beautifully, supported by the breathtaking acoustics of the building itself.
Finally, everything was organized and in place , and everyone met at an aunt's house for dinner in anticipation of more family and friends' arrivals tomorrow.
It turns out that the service on Monday will be for both of my husband's parents. My father-in-law died in the arms of his three sons tonight after telling a funny story and suffering a massive and instant heart attack. After the joke his eyes just rolled back in his head, and after a few more short, unconscious moments of rapid heartbeats, it was done.
Tonight and tomorrow night they will be lying in the same funeral home together, after a very long year of suffering. One sick, and one sick with sorrow for his suffering sweetheart. On Monday we will say farewell to both of them. So bittersweet. The Reverent said that they had heard of cases like this, but it had never happened in their church. It will be such a difficult day, especially for all the grandchildren.
Here is my father-in-law's favorite hymn, which I found out when I took him to the Mother Church in Boston this summer. His mother was a Christian Scientist and sang this hymn to him at bedtime. She was a well known practitioner, but he had never been to this awe inspiring church. His favorite thing was the soloist singing so beautifully, supported by the breathtaking acoustics of the building itself.
Hymn 211 - O Gentle Presence
O gentle presence, peace and joy and power;
O life divine, that owns each waiting hour,
Thou love that guards the nestling faltering flight!
Keep though my child on upward wing tonight.
Love is our refuge; only with mine eye
Can I behold the snare, the pit, the fall:
His habitation high is here, and nigh,...
His arm encircles me and mine, and all.
No ill, since God is good, and loss is gain.
O make me glad for every scalding tear,
For hope deferred, in gratitude, disdain!
Wait, and love more for every hate, and fear...
His arm encircles me and mine, and all.
No ill, since God is good, and loss is gain.
Beneath the shadow of his mighty wing;
In that sweet secret of the narrow way,
Seeking and finding, with the angles sing:
" Lo, I am with you always," - watch and pray.
His arm encircles me and mine, and all.
No ill, since God is good, and loss is gain.
No snare, no fowler, pestilence or pain;
No night drops down upon the troubled breast,
When heaven's aftersmile earth's teardrops gain,
And Mother finds her home and heav'nly rest.
His arm encircles me and mine, and all.
No ill, since God is good, and loss is gain.
No ill - since all is good, and loss is gain. This is the truth, as found in the Tao also - I'll have to remember that on Monday.
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