Social ambiguity and a funeral

I recently had to say good-bye to my longtime supporter and grandmother. What can you say about a person that meant so much to you? Words failed me at her funeral. However, she was a trailblazer of sorts in her time. She was a divorced, single mother when it was not socially acceptable to be one. She rocked it. Her parents moved from their farm after retiring next door to her sister, so my grandmother moved herself and my mother from one part of the state to the other to be close to relatives. My mom had an uncle and a grandfather, a mother, an aunt and a grandmother to grow up with. My mom wasn't spoiled by any means, however she had necessities and what was important: love. While I agree that the moral fiber of society is mostly eroded, there are some things still in this world that are still good. We have each other. Too bad most do not see it as that way.

I experienced so much love from friends and family this past week and a half that it overshadows the bad and those that turned their back on me when I needed them the most because of "busy lives". What ever happened to thinking of others before yourself? My grandmother was the epitome of thinking of others before herself. Why, if you ever ate at her house, she never sat. She served. She made sure her guests were well taken care of and she was satisfied with that. I remember her taking care of her sister and her brother in law and not stopping to do anything else but that. She had worn a trail between their houses since she was constantly going back and forth.

If there was a need, you need not speak it to her-- she knew and acted without asking. Too many people ask today. Do you need anything? What ever happened to thinking- "if it were me, I'd need this, so I will do my best to provide it" instead of "let me know what you need". Most of us are filled to the brim with pride and do not wish to speak up for fear of the appearance of weakness. Unfortunate that a society that revels in weakness shuns the comment of weakness, is it not?

My grandmother met and fell in love after her divorce. He was catholic and they could not marry. Of course I suppose they could have, but my grandmother would not hear of him having to leave his religion to marry as she was a God fearing woman and respected his beliefs as well as religion. Again, thinking of others before herself. They were together for over twenty years, he coming over to her house every night and eating and spending time until the news came on and he was back home. They treated the others family like family. In fact, his nephew is one of the first people I called once my grandmother passed. He and his family loved her like an aunt. She loved them as an aunt. They are family. I suppose that makes the right kind of blended families possible. Go figure.