Tough Week

It’s the end of an era. A week ago today my grandfather passed away. He was the last of my grandparents. Saturday found myself flying to Bozeman, Montana to celebrate his life with my family. As with many funerals it was a sad time, but there were undercurrents of joy, supplemented with tequila; or as we call it, family communion.

The funeral was nice. A simple Catholic Funeral and burial. I, being the oldest (living) grandson, read the first and second readings:

First Reading:  Isiah 25:6,7-9
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
    will provide for all peoples.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
     the web that is woven over all nations.
He will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
     the tears from all faces;
     the reproach of his people he will remove
     from the whole earth;
     for the LORD has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
      “Indeed, this is our God;
     we looked to him, and he saved us!
     This is the LORD to whom we looked;
     let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”

Second Reading: Revelation 14:13
I, John, heard a voice from heaven say,
     “Write this: Blessed are the dead
     who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” said the Spirit,
     “let them find rest from their labors,
     for their works accompany them.”  

The bottom line of this is that I miss my grandpa and my grandma. I miss the summer vacations, the back yard soccer games, the floating the Yellowstone River.  I am grateful that my kids got to have actual memories of both him and my grandma.