This past weekend has been a bit stresssful. I had so much going on I felt I was being pulled in 3 different directions. One direction I was typing a presentation for my dad, 12 pages which was due completed this Friday, another direction I had to give a meeting in my department Saturday morning 7am, and then I had a wake/funeral that took place Sunday. So i had to leave work early that day so I could it make it for the service.
When I got home my family and relatives from out of town were getting dressed for the service. I took a bath and got dressed myself but left a tad bit later. I got there after the rest of my family. It was pretty packed and when I finally made it to the coffin I just looked at my departed cousin. He didn't really look the same to me. I knew he had been sick for a while but I didn't realize it until I saw him laying there.
The service soon got underway and I realized that I hadn't been to a funeral in at least 12 years. With the last 3 being in the same year, 1994. I lost my maternal grandmother on my birthday, another cousin had commited suicide that summer, she was my age, and the last being that Novemeber on Thanksgiving when my maternal grandfather passed. Yet know that I'm typing this I realize that it's actually been since 2000, since a good elementary friend of mine, Donald Lee Jr., his father passed away. He was my basketball coach and like second father.
Yet back to my cousin service. I sat there and cried my eyes out. I tried to hold it in but I just couldn't. The way people were talking about how good of a person he was it really showed how many people loved him. He wasn't a perfect person he had his share of demons but then again nobody is perfect. You just have to deal the best that you can with the hand that is dealt. He was in the Marines for 12 years and would be laid to rest Monday (yesterday) at Jefferson Barracks.
So after the service was over I ran into many members of the church I belonged to, not to mention my former pastor gave the eulogy at the service and it was a great sermon. We were laughing and remembering the good times. They had food ready below in the funeral homes cafeteria so we could get something to eat. Afterwards I went home and met the rest of my family there. My extended family left that evening to make it back to Chicago.
Monday morning it was dreary with rain and the tempatures falling. We met up at the funeral home and made our way to Jefferson Barracks to inter the body. I realized that this was my first trip here and that I would come back again so i could find out where my cousin Rachel was buried, she was the one that commited suicide back in the summer of '94. I always think of her and wonder what she would have been in life. I'll always remember her being shy, quiet, and very self conscience of her appearance. The last time I saw her she had on a black turtleneck yet it was so hot outside. I never asked her why she had it on, because I knew why.
So back to my cousin Larry. We make our way to the place where his last ceramony will be performed. There were Reserved Guards there to give the gun salute, another person played TAPS on a bugle, and another 2 officers who folded the flag and presente it to his mother. He was married but they were estranged for 12 years and that is just another can of worms that just needs to stay closed from what I hear from other family members.
After leaving his body at the cemetary we go back to my cousin Jean's house, Larry's mother and wait for her so we can all go to the Repast that Larry's father was throwing at a building he owned. My family stayed for awhile and then we left to go home so we could get our strength back from this past week. My mother had been helping my cousin Jean making sure she was okay an d helping with a photo project for the funeral.
Later on that evening my cousin Rhonda who is a singer came over and played her latest tracks from her new upcoming album. The girl has a beautiful voice and she can BLOW!!!! She was talking with my mom about when they were growing up. My girl Kai called me after we were IM'ing on the cpu for a while and then I went to my room so we could talk in private. Afterwards I got dressed and decided to go to the movies but then detoured to Applebee's at the last minute. I then came home and watched some tv until I dozed off. Thankfully I have Tuesday off so I can just chillout.
Note: I was able to video tape the interment at Jefferson Barracks and will post the link once it becomes available thru Google Video
