I love that term--it was coined by my niece Crystal years ago. She and her mom, (my sister Martie, for those of you who don't have my family tree committed to memory yet) were at my house. I don't remember exactly what happened, but I must have yelled at someone's kid (not mine). Crystal said, "I hate this, even when Mom's not around, one of them always is--they're like, you know, the Methren!" We are, and proud of it! So last week, a horrible thing happened. Craig Eidson, Amber and Crystal and Pearl's dad died. Although he and Martie are no longer married, it was still devastating. Strange, how at a time like that, you want to just rush in and fix everything. Then you do rush in, and of course, you can't fix it. You can just cry with them. But one small thing we did get to do was bring food and help clean the apartment where Craig and Crystal were living. I just hope that all the love we felt doing that will just stick to the walls and the doors and the windows and everything. I have this picture on my phone now and every time I look at it I say a prayer for them all.
I guess it's a mom thing.
2 comments:
Hi Julie,
Thank you so much for the beautiful music at Dad's funeral. I cried but it was perfect. I really appreciate you stepping up and doing that on such short notice and appreciate your love and support. I really miss and love my Dad and we wanted to give him a proper funeral. By the way, everyone visiting, cooking and cleaning, etc made it impossible for me to fall into a depressed non-eating funk so thank you, Kris, Greg, Grandma, Laura Darla and everyone for saving my health as well as your support during our grief.
Love,
Amber
It is strange how people can help. Like immediately after John died, Sue Hedeen arrived with a big can of coffee and a BALE of toilet paper. Later I found her cleaning my refrigerator--so she could fit all the food in that people were bringing. Ronda and Mark came the next day with a lid for the back of my downstairs toilet. It had been broken for ages, and she just went to a plumber in town and said, "you've got to have a leftover lid for a toilet tank!" They did, she guessed at the size, it wasn't quite right, but 5 years later, it's still in use! I am glad you liked that song too. I think it's just the right combination of old and new, sort of bagpipey, and I like the lyrics. And I don't know who thought to have us end with "The Happy Wanderer" but it was just perfect. I remember Craig singing it, I'm sure others did too, and it was not dreary or mournful at all. I liked the way you all combined elements of Craig's life to make the whole event really speak to who he was to all of us. Crystal did such an amazing job reading The Last Hero, I don't think I could have done it at all. But I think, even though the whole thing was so painful, the fact that you experienced it together will be what gets you through it. We were all glad, actually compelled, to come and do what we could. It is an honor, you are family.
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