Thoughts on her funeral...

I hardly knew her.

My Grandma Vivian.

Weird, because I thought I did.

I saw pictures at her viewing that I never even knew existed.

Like the one of her in a newspaper clipping with LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley. I knew she worked for him in the Church Radio offices way back when, but to see a picture... that was amazing.

I knew she had sung for the the Mormon Tabernacle choir but I didn't know that she was on a record!

I had always heard how much my sister, Jessie looked like her, but until I saw the youthful pictures of my Grandma, I didn't realize how true that statement was.

She had yearbooks... I don't think I realized they even made them back then... (smile)

She served an LDS mission... twice.

She was so loved by her husband that he talks of her often in his journals with adoration and love. I never even knew that he always was sure to give her an orchid at Mother's Day.

Maybe I was too young to remember these things when they were told to me.

Maybe it was because I lived right next door to her and she thought I already knew everything there was to know about her.

It is amazing how long you wait sometimes to learn all there is to know about a person.

One quote that was shared at her funeral really stuck with me, it is an old American Indian saying,
"When you were born the world rejoiced, and you cried. When you die, may you rejoice while the world cries."

I like that.

I want to live my life that way.

I want to be remembered for the good I can do.

I hope that I have lived up to the name that my grandparents and parents have passed on to me.

I was blessed to have a Grandma Vivian.

It was so good to see family and be able to celebrate the life of our Grandma. That's really what funerals should be; a celebration of the life that was lived.

And my Grandma Vivian lived a good life.

I took a few pictures with my phone at the grave side services, they turned out pretty good, considering.

I love my family.

I am so thankful to know that we can be together forever if we live our lives well.

Now some side notes about how the kids did with her funeral:


We took them to the viewing the night before and Brother didn't want to see her in the coffin at all. He was scared to go into the room. Toward the very end of the night he did finally come in and sit on the far side of the room and kind of glanced at her a few times.


Sister was scared but very intrigued and would wander over to view her several times during the night.


I thought they had done well.


Then bedtime came.


Sister kept asking me if she was dead and if I was dead and if Grandma Judy was dead. She was very confused seeing her Great Grandmother's body even though she had gone to heaven. She is still talking about the body here on earth and the spirit up in heaven... we are working on it.


Brother had nightmares all that night.


We sent them to school instead of taking them to the funeral services. We thought it was best after their reactions to the viewing, but I don't regret taking them. They need to learn that death is part of life, it is a process to understand it, but I think it does need to at least be recognized.