Funeral

The Rosary last night and the funeral today was so hard. Rick was my big brother, but he meant so much to so many people. At the hospital in the last few days of his life the people he worked with and golfed with and had gone to school with came in and out of his room, I wish I would have counted. Rick was 44 and very active until this cancer got the best of him. It is really a shame that we do not get together with extended family except at times like this. A lot of laughs and tears. It is very hard to see big, strong, grown men bawling like babies because they loved my brother so much, and yet it is also very comforting to realize the impact he had on the people around him. The funeral was beautiful and Father gave a great homily. My husband read the readings and did a great job. After Mass, my brother-in-law gave a eulogy. He told memories of Rick that some of us had. How uncle Rick always made beef jerky for the kids and how much they loved it. My memory was the time 20 years ago I was in the far back pasture on my horse Cricket (we were just sitting there) and Rick was back at the house practicing his driving (he was a big golfer) when Boom! He hit Cricket on the rear! It wasn't until maybe two years ago that he admitted to me that he was aiming at the horse! There is now a huge void in my life and that of my family. At the hospital my brother, sister and I were there in the middle of the night and the nurse told us how great she thought it was that we were there with him and I told her that if it was any of the rest of us, Rick would be there doing the same thing. I will dearly miss my brother.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O' Lord
and let perpetual light shine upon him.