“Today we were separated by miles of nature, connected only by an invisible stream of waves.”
I never thought the day would come where I’d attend a funeral via my cell phone, but that’s exactly what I did today.
I sat alone on a little chair in my office, and I said goodbye to my friend. Nobody heard me: not him, not his family, no friends, no attendees.. no one. Just me. Today, that had to be enough.
Just two months ago, we’d sat together and enjoyed the best cheesecake known to man. It was absolutely delicious! Sitting a mere two feet across from each other, we savored the joy of being together with the world at our fingertips. We had plans, beautiful plans. Don’t we all?
Plans to rule the world. Plans to love the hurting. Plans to make this world of ours a better place. Yeah, we had plans. We had beautiful plans.
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Yet, today we were separated by miles of nature, connected only by an invisible stream of waves. Through the view of my four-by-six inch cell phone, my heart cringed as the funeral director instructed family to spread out, ensuring a consistent distance of no less than six feet between each family member. Silently, the masked bodies began to move, creating a rustling of shoe scuffling as they readjusted. My dear friend, lay unmoved at the front of the room. Still and silent. I missed Steve already.
This is the world that we live in today. It’s a world where our goodbyes are heard only by the ears of those who recited their simple sentiments. It’s a world of masks, gloves, and six feet requirements. I never thought the day would come where I’d attend a funeral via my cell phone, but that’s exactly what I did today.
I sat alone on a little chair in my office, and I sang the familiar songs as they played. I smiled each time I heard a song I knew Steve would have loved to hear at the moment. I giggled at the plethora of pictures on display. Pictures of him with his kids, students, and wife. Pictures of him being silly and bigger than life. That was who he was, and those pictures touched my heart exactly where they needed to.
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As the pictures scrolled, I was reminded of cheesecake, trains, fundraisers, pep rallies, and walks down long halls. I felt his hand on my shoulder, saw his smile, and felt the warmth of one of his many fuzzy scarves. He was right there. Except, he wasn’t.
One-by-one, speakers rose and took their place. Each one was honest and true and their love for my friend was evident. He changed the world by changing lives of everyday people. And today, somehow, he was still changing us; making us better in ways we’d yet displayed. Growing us. Maturing us. Teaching us how to love a little more deeply.
I never thought the day would come where I’d attend a funeral via my cell phone, but that’s exactly what I did today. I sat alone on a little chair in my office, and it changed me. It grew me and taught me how to love a little more deeply.
xoxo,
Rachel
© Rachel Blado www.OnTheWayToWhereYoureGoing.com All rights reserved.
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