Her voice was a bright beacon,
shining a clear and steady path
to all the world,
letting all know
to sing out
and have their voice heard.
I've just returned home from the three-hour
Celebration of Life
for Joan Maree Graham Hester Byrd
over at Asbury Memorial Church.
The service itself was only two hours, followed by an hour-plus reception.
I was briefly in Holliday Hall, visiting with Jean and John Hester, my nieces Zaida and Molly, as well as Rev. Billy, who made it through the entire service, gladdened by all the love shown to his mother.
I chose to eat in the garden, Mama's needlework singing to me as I ate.
"The kiss of the sun for pardon,
the song of the birds for mirth,
one is nearer God's heart in a garden
than any place else on Earth."
By the time I was ready for company, I returned in time to bid farewell to my relatives.
Right time, right place.
i thank You, God.
2 comments:
She would have been 94 on May 17th.
I do hope she and Mama are singing together in the heavenly choir - oh, what a lovely chorus for the angels!
I'll miss seeing her in the back pew, holding court as others came to greet her and give hugs...
much as Mister Willie held court at the ballgames, with his smile and hearty handshake rewarding his fans.
I'm grateful to have had them in my life for so long.
Such a beautifully conducted service, as are most of those from Billy Hester.
At one point, he shared a story about his 4th-grade teacher, a woman who had helped him and his sister after the loss of their father 55 years ago.
(Funny, that's Sandy's age for her birthday on May 14th.)
Then, as he was wrapping things up, he spoke of trying to find a fitting way to close the sermon about his mom, so he was reading some of the condolence cards... and right there, in his hand, was the card sent from Mabel Ridgeway...
who had been his 4th-grade teacher...
reaching out to help him at the loss of his other parent.
Wow.
(And I found out that Zaida is... a 4th-grade teacher.
Life is truly stranger than fiction.
As for Molly, she is following in Frank's footsteps, going for her Master's in accounting and her CPA license.
I know he must be absolutely beaming with happiness!)
Post a Comment