I went to my first ever funeral yesterday. Well, it might not have been the first I've attended. I may have gone to my Granddad's funeral when I was four, but if I did I don't remember it.
I've known P since third form. In second year university I became friends with W and his sister M. At my birthday P and W met and eventually they got together and got married. They are important people, P and W helped out at our wedding doing ushering and driving. We always get on with them.
W and M's father died suddenly last Saturday, I don't remember much of him. He did the barbeque at P and W's engagement party and I may have said something to him at their wedding. We went to his house a few times for various reasons and I remember watching the big Guy Fawkes fireworks with them one year.
I went to support my friends. I am glad I did.
The funeral was lovely, full of personality and loving memories. There was a lot of laughter as well as tears and W's tribute was fantastic. I sat next to Chelle and Lee and I shed a few tears. Music was played: Little River Band's Cool Change, Abba's I have a Dream and the coffin was carried out to I Would do anything for love by Meatloaf, which is one of my mother's favourite songs.
More than anything the ceremony celebrated his life and the things that people loved about him, and allowed mourning as well.
It has made me introspective. It makes me want to tell everyone I love how I feel and why. It makes me want to plan the music I want played at my funeral. (Happy Phantom by Tori Amos?) It makes me want to seize the day and get out in the world and *do stuff*. Write more, get published, go to the beach.....just live really.
It also has made me fear the future a little, the day when I am attending the funeral of someone a little more significant in my life, and I wonder how on Earth I will cope on that day. I hope it is a long way off.
PoF: Summer Girl wants a sundress. If I had known it would be so warm in NZ I would have bought pretty sundresses in Australia!
CO: Making the most of life