Today we said goodbye. Dan’s mom Betty, was a force to be reckoned with–even at age 91. As my sister-in-law, Janice aptly described in her very moving eulogy : Betty had all her marbles… and then some.
It was a hoot looking at the old photos, especially the family photo circa 1981 (before I was part of the clan); and seeing how much both the people and the fashions have changed. Dan was the shirtless stud-muffin with the short-shorts, big hair and over-sized glasses that marked the era. The 20-something grandchildren got a kick out of the vintage 80s look. (What on earth were we all thinking?)
Betty would have enjoyed the service, the lunch, and the gathering at the bar afterwards. She always loved a party! Betty was the glue that kept Dan’s birth family together over the years. She never wavered in hosting both Christmas Day and Easter–and you’d better have a good excuse if you were going to miss either of them! Now that both Ed and Betty are gone; the definition and shape of the family will morph into something different. New holiday traditions will form, new memories will be made.
Life goes on even as we grieve: Guzzy got on a bus today with her choir sisters for their annual road trip / tour. As a senior, it is Guzzy’s last tour. This is a MUCH anticipated event, and is a culmination of many weeks and months of practice for the girls and planning by the chaperones. Guzzy’s adult post high-school life awaits her return.
People leave legacies of all types. I sang at the funeral today, and someone asked me where I got my voice. I like to think that a small part of my mom lives in me when I sing (or at least when I sing well…. when I sing badly that’s all on me).
As I think of my mom when I sing; I will think of Betty when shopping at JC Penney or when the family gatherings go on a bit longer than I would like; or when Dan and I take a rustic vacation together (inside joke that is way to complicated to explain)…. she will be remembered.