I got my hair cut Thursday by the same person who had been to the funeral home to do Mom's hair the day before. She told me we were going to be very pleased with how Mom looked and she was right. The funeral home did an awesome job. Actually, they did an awesome job throughout the entire service. We were very pleased with the complete arrangements. Mom had requested that the visitation be held in the church and we were glad we did. It was nice to have the room to spread out and take our time to visit with everyone who attended. Friday was an emotionally trying day, as we knew it would be. Saying your final goodbyes to your Mother is heart wrenching at best, at any age. The service was very nice and the meal the ladies at the church put on was great. Thank you to anyone who participated in any way during the services.
It's been almost 18 years since Dad died and we've been fortunate not to lose anyone in our immediate family since. You tend to forget just how much it means when people go out of their way to show their respects for your loss. Many of you, especially those who had to come from out of state, made a real effort to attend. This meant a lot to us. Thank you so much to all who attended or sent flowers and cards. Also for the many phone calls and even text messages. We truly appreciate all of this. Speaking of the flowers and plants, wow, pretty impressive for a non Italian family!
It's unfortunate that Mom didn't make it to her 80th birthday. We had planned quite a party for her to coincide with the golf outing this year. We will still have the golf outing as planned, on July 18th. Her birthday is on the 19th. This year we will call it the Ray & Dorothy Broerman Memorial Golf Outing. You are all invited to attend as we keep Mom's wishes in celebrating her life. We certainly will do that on this weekend. The pre party and fireworks will be at Ed's place on Friday and the post party at Bob's on Saturday. Make your reservations and join us.
As for this blog, so many of you thanked me for keeping you up to date throughout Mom's illness. Thank you for all the nice comments. I hope it was just as much therapy to read as it was to write. Many of you said you looked for new updates every day, well, we looked for new comments from all of you every day also. It was so nice to read how much you all cared and to be able to pass those comments on to Mom. I'm glad that it gave many of you an avenue to say to her how she had touched your lives. And thank you for all the prayers for her and for all of us, it certainly meant more than you know. A few of you suggested that I keep this up and post to it every now and then, perhaps I will, but in reality this is probably my final post. But as Mom always said 'Never say Never'.
So, once again, on behalf of the entire Broerman family 'Thank You' to all of you for everything you did for all of us. Take care, Jim
'Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared beneath the stars above
For a moment all the world seemed right
How could I have known you'd ever say goodbye
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance'
Jim,Thank you once again for this blog. Aunt Dorothy really did look very nice but that's the way I remember her. Like her picture on this blog-always with a smile. It was really good seeing all of the family again.You will be in our prayers. Thanks for everyone's hospitality.
ReplyDeleteElaine & Matt
Jim,
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said - and that doesn't happen very often ;) - the blog was a wonderful idea and you did a fantastic job on it from beginning to end, thank you!
After spending so much time with family the past month or so, and learning our new "catchphrases" I have to say, one came to mind after listening to Becky's wonderful eulogy on Friday ... Becky stood up there and started out with "Hello" ... and later, the phrase came to mind ... "You had me at hello!"
Jim, I guess I have yet to thank you for your heart felt words all along on this journey. I was about to write painful journey, but it wasn't always painful. As I go back and read I realize we have to be so grateful for the time we did have with Mom, even though I miss her so very much. We were lucky enough to have her near to us and dear to us for so many years. Some families are not that lucky! We were lucky enough to have those few days when she felt so much better that it all seemed like a bad dream. It's not always easy to count our blessings when the pain is still so raw, but everytime the tears threaten, it's almost as though I can hear Mom saying, "ack!" ;)
ReplyDeleteSo Jim, thank you and I loves ya brother you put a lot of yourself out there. It's not always easy to write from the heart for all to read but you did it, and you did it so beautifully.
Love ya,
Becky and Co.