On Friday 7/13 we drove to Parkersburg, Wv for breakfast and then made a trip to the mall. The main purpose of the mall trip was for a tie since Frazer forgot his. I hadn't been to that mall in years! It makes the shopping mall's in Atlanta seem like monstrosities. I did enjoy seeing how much the area had changed and a lot of growth which is good. It was a miserable rainy morning and I guess you could say it was an attempt to distract ourselves from the drive to Woodsfield that was ahead of us.
Once we arrived in Woodsfield we hung out with my parents a little bit before heading to the funeral home. No one looks forward to funeral homes. However, even in the midst of grief and sadness having Isaac with us somehow made it much better, not just for us but for everyone. At one point in the evening everyone was gathered around sitting in chairs and Isaac was playing on the floor and he started to take a couple of steps. Well, of course everyone started clapping with excitement. Isaac looked at bit shocked at first as he looked around and then realized all of this attention was positive and it was all for him. Then he started clapping....then everyone started clapping with more positive "yeah's". Then he took a couple more steps with more clapping all for him. He was discovering how to work an audience! It was a refreshing icebreaker for sure.
I was happy to spend time with my Aunt Sharon. Isaac got to spend time with his Great Aunt Sharon Brannon too.
The actual service was 7/14 followed by the burial. It was a somber day but the words of the service were touching. Grandma was very loving and cared for so many people and during the service the Preacher shared a message/story of how we come into this world relying on others to feed us, clothe us and care for our every basic need. At the end of our lives we once again transition to relying on the assistance of others to provide our basic needs and the type of people and number of people at the end of our life who are there to care for us is an indication of the love and care we've provided to others over the course of our lifetime.
It's a message that touched my heart and a reminder to share my heart with those around me. I certainly have a tendency to let my introverted nature and fears of rejection take over and prevent me from being as social and engaging as I prefer and want to be with others. Sometimes its so much easier to stay in our own little worlds, afraid to put ourselves out there, afraid to let others know what's going on in our lives, afraid to ask for help when deep down most of us would go out of our way to help others in need. Sometimes we just don't know how to receive from others.
The service was followed by a dinner for the family at the local community center. The food was all home made and delicious. When it came time for desert I had a bit of yellow cake with chocolate icing and in one bite I had instantly stepped back into my childhood and was once again 10 years old. I only wish I had the recipe. It was the identical cake my Grandma Elsie made so many times. The cake was delicious and tasted like childhood. It was so yummy I had two pieces! After the dinner we went back to the Bed & Breakfast where the parents were staying. It was an old Victorian style house with a huge front porch so we took advantage of the porch swings and the summer breezes. Isaac had fun climbing on the swing and exploring. Before we knew it, the day was coming to a close and it was time to head back to Marietta since we had a long drive home the following day.
Sunday 7/15 we left for the very, very long drive back to Atlanta. For what ever reason, the drive up seemed to go by quick but the drive home seemed like it lasted for days. We were all restless and very glad once we arrived home.
As much as I wish the trip had been made under different circumstances and had been more time to visit with old friends we made the best we could of the situation.
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