This past Thursday my family said farewell to our mother, not only a mother but also the glue who kept our family together. It was a celebration of someone to who has gone from our world of the dying to the world of the living. There were tears of the thought of missing her and laughter of the joyful memories we have of her.

After the celebration, we went to the graveside for the final good bye. As we waited for people to arrive, we walked among the headstones of family members who had gone before us and watched the grandchildren who will be alive after we are gone.

We finished the farewell with a meal at a restaurant that we children know well because it is in the village of East Texas, PA. We had lived there for four years of our life. We talked about what we thought mom was saying if she was watching us from heaven.  One answer was, “I need my nerve medicine.”  As the day finished I was standing by the Little Lehigh watching our children and others grandchildren playing on bank of the river like our mother did many years ago.

I love you mom!