By AMY SHANKLAND
Sandwiched
It’s been three weeks since my mom’s funeral, and I’m surprised that most of my memories of the day are happy ones. This was completely unexpected, but true.
Hahn Funeral Home in Mishawaka provided us tremendous comfort and joy. They handled everything seamlessly, which made things so much easier for us. Jordain and Mary in particular were rock stars!
Mom’s funeral service at St. Bavo Catholic Church across the street was utterly beautiful. At first, I was a bit grumpy about it. They wouldn’t allow us to use the readings we wanted and I didn’t understand why. But as my niece and I prepared to read them out loud during the service, I realized they picked out good ones – even better than what we had selected. The words were full of hope and comfort.
I wasn’t certain how Father Pete would do for the homily, either. We weren’t allowed to have anyone give a eulogy at the church, so I gave one during the Thursday evening viewing. But Father Pete’s words were tremendous. He didn’t know Mom, as she had lived in Noblesville for over five years at that point, but I found myself nodding in agreement many times as he spoke.
And I’ll never forget as long as I live what happened when the cantor sang “Ave Maria.” It had been a grey, cold morning, with the sun obliterated by clouds. The moment she began to sing, the clouds parted, and I could see the sun streaming in through one of the gorgeous stained glass windows. The tears fell gently down my cheeks as a lump grew in my throat. It was truly a God moment.
I also felt happy when we all gathered together as a family for lunch afterwards at Hacienda, one of Mom’s favorite places. It felt wonderful to have the people I love the most in this world all around me.
My best friend, Stacey, sat at our table along with my husband, sons, and her daughter and newborn grandson, Chase. Everyone took turns holding Chase, including my cousin Kenny and my husband John.
When it was my turn to hold Chase and everyone had toasted Mom with a margarita, I leaned back in my chair and looked all around me. A warm, peaceful, contented feeling came over me. These were my people, in a rare moment where everyone could be together, and I felt the love surrounding me.
John drove us home to Noblesville soon afterward. Feeling full of hope and happiness, I drifted off to take a nap.
I knew in my heart that things had gone exactly as Mom would have wanted them to. The viewings and funeral were beautiful celebrations of a life that was lived well and was an example of goodness for all.