Heart Wrenching/Bubbles to Haven

I want to talk of the ceremony as it was truly something to see. But yet something so much more important is going on as we speak. Of course I am referring to New Orleans and the Katrina emergency. It is horrifying to see the lack of timely relief coming from our own country to our own people. This is no longer a situation across an ocean away but right in our own backyard. At this point I want to help and so I battle the voice telling me to help and the voice telling me how much normal work I have as well and everything else that is going on in my life. Emergencies never come at the right time, and are rarely scheduled.

My company is helping out and I am desperately attempting to volunteer to offer specialized skills such as setting up network services to help create a list of survivors. This is probably second only to life saving efforts to start bringing families together or at least helping them find out about friends and loved ones. Unfortunately our government is having a tough time even identifying what they need, thus can’t even ask until they know what they need. Hopefully they will figure something out soon and we can dispatch and start assisting.

To plan a funeral for a child is never easy. To make it truly a celebration is virtually impossible, and yet the family did just that. A ceremony with almost 500 people in attendance was supplied with hundreds of Kleenex, and yet with the help of almost 100 children the ceremony truly became a celebration. We arranged it so there was a large mat right in front of the stage where all the children were welcome to sit on the floor. Playing with Benjemon cards they were given on the way in, they ended up stealing the show. While dad was speaking to a packed crowd the younger brother stood on the directors chair on stage and waved to the crowd and said, ‘hi everyone’. After the fourth time, the crowd could not stop laughing. The service ended with everyone blowing bubbles to the sky (picture to follow).

The reception had a little bit of everything for everyone. A 36 foot jump house for the children (and the occasional adult including myself), balloon artists, pokemon trading stations, cup cake walks, videographer interviewing area, scrap booking area and of course a 500 picture slideshow with pictures from the whole family. While mingling the crowd truly kept it a celebration of his life, which was the point. The conclusion truly topped it all with a loop covering almost the entire cul-de-sac while everyone held a candle lit by a single candle by the family. The moment of silence was punctuated only by mom saying the occasional word and finally concluding with two songs, the final of Celine Dion singing, “I’m Alive”, reminding us that it is now time to be there for those who are still alive and live life to the fullest.

For me the day was emotionally and physically draining, and yet healing. That night for the first time in almost a week I had a good night sleep without waking up in the middle of the night. The next morning I got on a plane to Florida to see my sister home from Egypt and the rest of my family. More on this later.