Weddings and Funerals!

Weddings and funerals, they say it brings out the best and the worst in people.  Well, I just spent time at the latter one of these and I believe that old saying is true.  Sounds funny but I enjoyed the funeral.  Of course not the fact that someone we loved has passed on, but the funeral was done how she wanted. 

You know the old story about “save your fork, the best is yet to come”, related to potlucks and a good meal.  Well dear Aunt Shirley was a character.  She was buried with a fork in her hand!  She believed that saying and wanted to be ready for whatever God was going to give her.  What a wonderful way to live our lives, always ready to take the next step that God sends our way with the attitude that it is better than what we just ate, where we have been, or what life gave us last.  

A woman with character is a true testament of Shirley.  She could do just about anything creative.  She sewed clothes, knitted hats, painted like a professional, researched the genealogy of her family, and foster parent to 20 children, wife, mother, step mother, grandmother and God’s servant in all ways.  Shirley was a giver, not a taker.  She was opinionated and strong willed and would give you a run for your money and love you till it hurt.

Shirley’s life was not easy.  She lost her first husband at a young age and had 3 children.  One son died and endless medical problems throughout her life.

I hope that when it is my time to leave this earth and “save my fork for the best”, people will be able to say these descriptions’ of me, a character that was strong willed, opinionated, talented and truly most of all a Christian that was a servant of God.  Dorcas/Tabatha