Friday, October 15, 2010
Today, I attended the funeral of a 34-year-old, Brian who was killed in a car accident. I knew his folks well from my days in Lower Brule where they helped out so generously with everything in the parish. When words can’t heal the heart of a parent who has to bury their child, sometimes all we can do is be there, offering a handshake or a hug.
Brian’s dad’s cousin is a priest, so Fr. Mike led the services. I know from experience that it’s hard emotionally to do a family funeral, but it means so much. Fr. Mike’s words expressed what his relatives were feeling from a very personal level. He could also tell a few family stories that helped people laugh and remember, which stirred more sharing and stories at the meal afterwards.
In the evening I stopped by the Rec Center to work on some of the exercises prescribed by my physical therapist. The Ambrose (1st – 3rd grade boys) and Afra (1st – 3rd grade girls) homes had a free evening in the gym, and I stopped to join them. We shot a few baskets and tossed a football back and forth. I made the kids laugh at my feeble attempts at keeping a hula hoop going. My sisters were pretty good at that, but I could never master it.