Since starting my blog in February, this has been the longest amount of time between posts and I am finally playing “catch up.” Since I last wrote I have been home to Indiana, back to Ohio where I currently reside, to Pennsylvania with my parents for my grandmother’s second memorial service and interment, back to Indiana with my parents, then back to Ohio. Whew! The second memorial service was another wonderful celebration of my grandmother’s life. This one was a little harder for me than the first because it included the committal service. I had rehearsed the prayers to desensitize myself, but I still got choked up when I prayed “Before she was ours; now she is yours … Now we offer Florence back to your arms …” Although it was a little emotional, it was an honor to officiate. And although I wish the circumstances had been different, it was also good to “catch up” with some of my relatives whom I had not seen in years. I couldn’t believe how some of my cousins’ children had grown! One of my cousins and two of my cousins’ children participated in the service, and several others offered some great stories during the time of sharing. It truly was a celebration of my grandmother’s 92 years on this earth.

So I am back in Ohio, grateful to be able to “catch up” this week, and looking forward to writing more. Until then, peace …