On death and dying

Some of you may have read that title and found it to be very morbid. Okey I give you that, but once I go into this subject you will know where it's coming from.

I am now home a week from a sudden trip to Abbotsford where the memorial service was held for my Grandfather. He was the only Grandpa I knew for one had passed away even before I was dreamed of. The Martens Grandparents came often to the farm I grew up on, twice a year when I was yet young. The whole of my childhood holds them in place. Hardly can I think back on spring time and harvest without them coming close to mind. OH to watch as the car rounded the bend. As now would show I was not a quite child, I admit to fits of screeming for joy at the sight of it. The trunk would open in fall topped up with fruits from B.C. And hugs, oh the hugs. Grandmas so soft, Grandpas so sure. You never questioned if you had been hugged by either of them.

The casket that carried my Grandfathers body to it's final resting place was open for all to veiw on the night of the 9th. Both with him and my grandma I had wondered if I truelly wanted to see the shell of them. I did see them both and am glad. When I looked upon my Grandpa's body, with nothing left of him but the shell I had known, I was over joyed for his sake. He wanted so very much to be done on this earth. He taught me something in his last years, for no matter how much he wished to leave he always said "only in Gods time".

It was esppecialy hard to watch as they closed the casket on his empty shell. For though we all knew he was no longer there we rememberd what he would say while alive. He always said "make sure I'm dead when you bury me for if I awoke in that box I'd die". He was as clostrephobick as the day is long. There is a story of his and my Grandmas first years of marriage where he had been snoring in the night. Grandma had heard that if you plug ones nose it should come to an end. Well it did with grandpa hiting the ceiling and straight out of bed. He looked at his wife and told her never to do that again. She didn't.

The casket may have been closed on June the 10th at noon hour. But only on the shell of him. The memoies escaped and the soul rejoices for he sings in the heavens the glory to God.