So, the director at Therapeutic Recreation asked Holly if she was free to work some volunteer hours this week. Holly has been spending most of her time studying for the NCLEX, which is the state nursing test in Arkansas.
Side note: Joshua says she is studying for her "IN-tellects. "
Holly said she was free on Wednesday, so she took Joshua with her today. Joshua was SO excited! If you've read here very long, you know that sometimes...depending on Holly's schedule...it will work out where she can pick up Joshua from TR. He LOVES those days, because he LOVES his sister.
Actually, he told me that he woke up feeling "excited and passionate."
I know.
He continued, "I didn't know why I was feeling that way, but then I remembered that I was going to ride with my baby sister today...and she was gonna stay with us all day."
Not gonna lie...I enjoyed the morning at home. :)
And, Holly came home with ALL THE STORIES about who did what and who said what. The FRIENDS are so funny!
When they aren't being dramatic.
Also, she found out that the thing that was said yesterday that caused all the trouble among the FRIENDS...it wasn't even like that at all. Which, didn't I tell you?
"What had happened was" (when someone, like your child, starts a story with these words, it usually means: BIG LIE TO FOLLOW. But, not in this case!) that Matthew had asked his Mom why it was so easy for some of the other FRIENDS to get along...to be friendly and talk and interact with each other...when it was so hard for him. And his mom did like I do...explained that we are all different, and that we all have different challenges; that some things are easy for some, but harder for others. And that turned into "Joshua flirts with girls because of his disability."
All that drama FOR NOTHING.
Welcome to my life.
Holly said they the FRIENDS, kept trying to bring it up today, but she kept saying, "WEARENTTALKINGABOUTTHATRIGHTNOW."
They "get" that kind of talk.
Jim and I went to a funeral this afternoon, so we were thankful that Holly was able to stay with Joshua and bring him home. If a funeral can be awesome, this one was awesome. Just really a really simple service for a sweet, godly woman. With the exception of the 2 children and grandchildren, Jim and I were the youngest people in the room.
Well, and my friend, Jennifer.
The soloist sang "It Is Well," and "In The Garden."
"In The Garden" is a staple at southern funerals.
Jim and I looked around at the mass of white hair in the room, and watched as they nodded their heads and tapped their feet to the beat of the songs. I wondered how they'd aged and we hadn't.
They all appeared so intent on every aspect of the service...from the music, to the tributes from the children, to the words from the minister. I know that none of us know the day that God will call us home, but just looking around at the group in there, I wonder if they were thinking, "am I next?"
Maybe, maybe not. Pretty sure a couple of them will out-live me.
Also, a benefit of Social Media: we saw all of these people that we used to know from our church, back when we lived in Little Rock, 30 years ago. We could remember a first name...but not the last; or the last name...but not the first. I whipped out my phone, and we typed in names and searched Facebook until we pretty much figured out the first AND last names of everyone in the room.
SCORE ONE FOR THE GARLANDS.
After the service, we went up to see our friends, to express our condolences about their mother. Weaving through the sea of older people, I could hear bits and pieces of their conversations:
"Such a nice service."
"They really sent her off nice."
"The flowers are so pretty."
"Why was she cremated?"
It's just funny what people think about at a time like this.
I was thinking that the words the minister spoke about the life and legacy were so beautiful, and it made me feel like I was really falling short in my life...and what words might be spoken at my funeral.
Really the only words we need to wonder about and look forward to are these, "well done, My good and faithful servant..."
"Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards." Proverbs 12:14
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