BELATED BLOG: My Journey Northward (part 2)

My second trip to Michigan this summer was only about five days after I left the first time.  My dad's mom passed away at the end of June.

I approach the whole situation with a mixed sense of emotion.  On one hand, she was 88 years old, and her body was failing her.  She had battled dementia, cancer, and typical geriatric-type ailments.  There is very little doubt in my mind that she is hanging out with Jesus in Heaven right now, so that is obviously a way better place to be than this world!  On the other hand, she was survived by 5 children, 14 grand children and 15 (i think?) great-grandchildren.  She left behind a legacy of love, faith and forgiveness.  As my uncle put it in his eulogy, she lived the fruits of the holy spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness) every single day. She left a meaningful impact on her family and the people around her and even though she's in a better place its hard not to miss her.

It had been a long time since attending the funeral of someone I deeply knew and cared about...this was the really the first of my adult life.  As sad as it was to see my grandmother leave this world, it became a joyous experience to re-unite with many of my cousins for the first time in years.  It was comforting to come together as a family over the course of several days and not only celebrate my grandmother's life, but also the life and love in our family.