For Weddings and a Funeral

In the last two days I have attended the first funeral and first wedding since Tim passed away. The wedding has been on my calendar for several weeks. I only found out about the funeral the day before. Both the wedding and the funeral were for members of Sheil, my religious community, which has been a great source of support and comfort to me.

The funeral was for Ed Mertz. Ed died one month shy of his 87th birthday. He was an elegant man with white hair and a very deep voice who greeted everyone with a smile. Ed lost his wife Grace to cancer the year Tim was first diagnosed with leukemia. It was sheer luck that I found out about Ed's death in time to attend his funeral. While those of us who were left behind will miss Ed, we also know that he died at peace with his life and looking forward to being reunited with his wife.

The wedding would not be recognized as such by many people, since it was a ceremony for two men. Will and Matt are dear friends with whom I have had the pleasure of singing every Sunday for many years. The ceremony was a beautiful statement of their love for one another. The reception was a lot of fun. I need a little more fun in my life, so I am grateful to Will and Matt for a great evening.