Rough Day

Today in church we had Barbara's one-year memorial, a little late since I had planned to have it last week, but of course we don't do memorials on the Sunday of Orthodoxy; that would be a little like having a funeral on Christmas.

Our very close friends, Nick and Sharyn, also had a memorial for his nephew, Elias ("Louie"), killed recently in a hit-and-run incident in Florida. Sharyn was quite broken up over it.

Then we all went out for a meal at a restaurant owned by a relative by marriage(s) of Nick and Sharyn's. Maria came with us, and told me she had just lost her Aunt Rita, who had been a favorite of mine for many years. I knew her from where I lived before I moved to Richmond. When I first began attending a Greek church there, with no intention whatever of actually becoming Orthodox, she took me under wing. She stood next to me in the choir.

After the meal, it was time to stop by the funeral home to hug and kiss Ero's family.

Ero's body was not at all well fixed up. All the sweetness was gone from her face, and it even looked rather grim. She never looked grim. She always had an angelic face, radiating love and kindness and peace - even when she was in pain, even when she was in sorrow, which was often, because for one thing, everybody else's sorrow was always her own. She never wore make-up, either, unless perhaps at a wedding, whereas the body was sporting pinkish lipstick.

Then, home to have a nap and call my children to make sure they had gotten my messages yesterday that I wouldn't be coming for a visit this weekend after all. And I miss those grandchildren so much - AND their parents, of course! We are leaving for Greece in 3 weeks, and I have to find time to see them before then.

Caitlin came over, my wildlife rehabbing apprentice. She took our three baby squirrels home with her for 48 hours and was thrilled to be allowed to. As for me, I'm equally happy to have a break from them just now! I'm sure she will do very well; she has a natural gift for working with animals that shows. If she does as well with them as I expect her to these next 2 days, she will be allowed to keep them permanently. And somebody else will have to mentor her with them once I'm in Greece. (The squirrels, by the way, are fully furred now and getting ready, in the next few days, to open their eyes.)

Brief naps, then back to the funeral home for the Trisagion Prayers. The place was packed; standing room only. Everybody loved Ero. What was not to love? Even Jesus had enemies, but Ero didn't. Or if she ever did, nobody knows about it and that person must have been crazy.

Matthew, her husband, looked tall and dignified and handsome. His godson is taking him away "for at least three weeks" to New York. They are planning some fishing trips. I'm SO glad, so relieved to hear this. It was terrible to imagine Matthew all alone in that big, now empty, house.

Their four daughters and assorted grandchildren did them both credit. They got through this exactly the way their mother would want them to.

There were pictures of Ero at various stages of her life. I always knew she was pretty, as are all her progeny, but now I see that as a young girl and then a bride, she was stunning. Gorgeous.

After that, we went to supper at The Crazy Greek with another couple, because the man, Pavlos, wanted Demetrios to translate some medical documents for a friend of his. After we had finished eating, the men moved to another table to work; Ioanna and I passed the time talking. It was good company, but tiring, as the translating wasn't finished until ten o'clock.

Now I'm off to bed, exhausted. Funeral tomorrow morning.