Saying Goodbye But Realizing He's Still With Me

Today was Michael's funeral and it was perfect. Heartfelt with a mix of tears, laughter, and prayer.  Sam and his buddy Cody attended it with me.  The family was nice enough to allow me to ride in the family limo while Sam followed us to the church.  Many, many attendees - family, friends, cousins, nieces, nephews - the works.  Beautiful music, touching poems, and then the viewing, something I've never been fond of.  However, Michael looked good - wearing his black suit, bright pink shirt and tie. I said my final goodbyes, slipping a card and picture of us together in with him.  The service lasted about an hour then we made the procession to the cemetery for his burial.  

At one point during the drive to the cemetery, Sam, who was several cars behind me, called and asked if I had seen the accident.  Uh, what accident?  Apparently, a bike rider drove right in front of one of the cop motorcycles who were guiding the procession.  Both the motorcycle cop and the bike rider went flying.  Sam and Cody were only two cars away so they saw it all.  Cody, trained in firefighting, hopped out to check on each person, telling the others to call 911. Apparently there were a few broken bones and a lot of blood shed between the two victims.

Just as I finished speaking with Sam, there was big BOOM that came from the limo.  WTH??  Could have been a popped tire.  We made it to cemetery in one piece, but it appears it was the shock system that blew.  We all (well, half of us as the other half were delayed by the wreck) exited our cars and waited for the rest of the procession, along with a replacement limo, to show up.  I just knew Michael had a hand in all the delays!!  He wanted his day to go on and on and on and that's just what happened!

After his burial, we all made our way back to the church for food, food, and more food!  It was a great ending for a wonderful service.

The following is the poem read during his service, which I found very meaningful and how I want to remember him - as if he never left at all.

Death Is Nothing At All

Death is nothing at all

I have only slipped away into the next room

I am I and you are you

Whatever we were to each other

That we are still

Call me by my old familiar name

Speak to me in the easy way you always used

Put no difference into your tone

Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow

Laugh as we always laughed

At the little jokes we always enjoyed together

Play, smile, think of me, pray for me

Let my name be ever the household word that it always was

Let it be spoken without effort

Without the ghost of a shadow in it

Life means all that it ever meant

It is the same as it ever was

There is absolute unbroken continuity

What is death but a negligible accident?

Why should I be out of mind

Because I am out of sight?

I am waiting for you for an interval

Somewhere very near

Just around the corner

All is well.

Nothing is past; nothing is lost

One brief moment and all will be as it was before

How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

Canon Henry Scott-Holland