Family Weekend in Washington State

I just returned this morning from my first trip to Washington State and it was a memorable time.

The occasion was to attend the memorial service for my Uncle Sam. He was married to my mother's only sister Shirley and they have 5 kids who are my only cousins.

His memorial service was - as I knew it would be - inspiring. He was a man who had deep faith, a great work ethic, dedication to the community and devotion to the family. The three people who eulogized him spoke of him as a leader in the work place, a dreamer and passionate worker for a library in their community and as a father who exemplified all the attributes of a boy scout. Uncle Sam really was the real deal - a big man in every way and I loved hearing the stories about him.

One of my greatest appreciations of him and my Aunt was their willingness to drop everything when my father got sick while traveling in California and spending I think 6 weeks living in a motel and helping my mother cope with his care until he was able to be put on an airplane. And visiting this weekend I heard many stories of that kind of above and beyond responses to friends and family in times of need.

But the service offered more than that. My 5 cousins - Pam, Harry, Scott, Natalie and Valerie - all sang "Today" at the end of the service. Three of them were playing guitars. They are all in their 40's and 50's now but I sat there with images of them in their teens singing the same song.
To go to a service like this and see family members who you only see every 5 to 10 years, who were still part of your childhood is just a gift. I had these moments of remembering who they were and we were growing up - remembering some vacations, some holidays, some other occasions and it just takes you back. It is hard to see the generation above us leaving us - my Aunt Shirley is now the only one of our parents who is left. But to see these adults who are themselves scientists, engineers, teachers and pretty good singers was wonderful. The service started with two women singing "I was there to hear your Borning Cry" and that really was the theme for me - God has been there through it all.

I spent Sunday with my brother Wayne and his wife Gail and Audrey just driving around the area with no plan and no destination. We spent a long time at a wildlife preserve just looking at nature and listening and looking for birds. We also had a long lunchl outside at a restaurant in Olympia by a dock. And had no plans for anything at all. This is so different from the rest of my life as I am always aware of the next meeting or event I have to go to. Audrey took lots of pictures which was a lot of fun too. I really feel that God is trying to show me that I need to do more of this kind of thing. The coolest part is Mount Ranier which was visible often from different directions - like a reminder that we are in Washington State. It was a beautiful weekend.

We also always have in the back of our minds and in our hearts our sister Ellen. She is now in hospice care and I think of her so often these days. I can make sense of an 84 year old saint whose body has worn out. But my 54 year old sister with stage 4 cancer is hard to understand and to accept.

All I can do is pray for her and Tom and Sam and Sarah.