I was 20 years old when I attended my 1st funeral…grandfather in law, Joe Davault. People stood in line for 3 city blocks for the visitation.
At 25, I buried my 3 month old son.
At 32, I flew to LA to bury an uncle in law. I was 1 of 4 people at the funeral home service. There was no visitation, no food brought in by the church ladies…there was nothing. This person never impacted anyone.
There was the divorce…
In starting my new life, I discovered if I wanted to have a friend, I had to be a friend. If I wanted love, I had to give love. Whatever I wanted, I had to be willing to give that. Life is not perfect and we all have our stories for sure. The pain is real.
My faith has always carried me through. The LORD has always carried me in His arms…I have so many “footsteps” in my life. But I’ve always prayed and asked God to get me thru my situations, my wrong decisions, the injustices done to me. AND I have always believed.
I made a decision that I would live my life in such a way that someday I would have a large funeral. I try fiercely to love those I love. I try to be extra nice to every stranger I meet. I hug the cashier at Price Chopper every time now, knowing she lost her grandma, father AND mother all in 2 mos…and her relatives did not come to the funeral..oh yes, we know there has to be a story there, but her pain is real. I say good morning to people I walk past. Love makes people respond and react.
God crossed my path with my best friend, Marge who knows me and all my mistakes and still loves me. My maid of honor at my wedding. I love her sooooo much! I have never had such a friend, like a sister, an OLDER sister. I put a glass table up for sale on marketplace and here comes a couple, Karen and Jim and we loved each other instantly! They immediately joined our RV club! The people in our club are absolutely the best friends in the world! The men love each other and golf together and the girls, Diane 1 and LaDonna (mermaid), Diane 2 and LaDonna 2, Marnie, Cheryl, Sharon, Angie, and Cody, we are absolutely delighted to be together and play cards.
Then came the Daughters of the American Revolution and I have new friends in Caroline and LaDonna (2), my partner in crime… which led to me discovering my FIRST cousins Shirley and Sue in New York. I am in love with those women! ! ! We met already and I can’t hardly believe what wonderful people I come from!
It gets better…I met 2 other cousins, 1 in Toronto, Maria, and the Philbricks in Platte City. God has opened up the windows of Heaven and poured out such blessings on my life. It has been a hard life, a river of tears, but I have so much to be thankful for. I have always laid my problems at the foot of the cross and asked for help and believed for the answers.
And it got better…#1daughterconnie, #2toodaughterbilliegirl, #3daughterinlawlessnessmelinda, #4daughterinlawkristy, it doesn’t hardly get better but 2 AWESOME sons also, and one on hold, finding his way. I got him at the foot of the cross…believing.
And so it goes, but God made way for another precious cousin, Candi. I babysat her when she was a little girl. And I loved her. She’s been back in our lifes now for several years and we have become like sisters. And my list goes on, there’s Connie & Bill, there’s Sheila and Barry, there’s our small Bible group. We are so rich in friends. If I missed anyone, please forgive me, Marilyn Kulmus, Laura Laban….
