Saying Goodbye

I attended the funeral service of one of our First Nations elders today. She was the lady from whom my husband and I bought our house on Aktis that we called home for many a year. She would come visit once in a while and have tea with us. She had not lived in Kyuquot for many years now.

I wasn’t expecting the small church. I thought I had been in this one before, but no. I would have remembered this cozy little church. I was early. It was fairly empty, but people were coming in slowly.

There were lots of people who came out from Kyuquot, filling up the pews. It was a very simple service. Some of the old, familiar, and beautiful hymns, Amazing Grace, One Day at a Time and a few others. Psalm 23 was read and Matthew 11:25-30, a message of the approachability of Jesus and of finding peace and rest as you come to Him in your time of grief.

During the service I could not help but think about my Jim, and how it was to lose him, and wonder how the elderly husband would cope with the loss of his life partner. He had said some sweet but powerful words to his wife before she passed on. He seemed to be holding up strong and he got up and thanked us all for coming out.

We all stood around outside in the sunny day after service, greeting friends not seen in a while. Hugs and a quiet exchange of news. So many I had missed so often since leaving Kyuquot.

There was an announcement that it was time for this much loved and departed lady to make her final journey, to be transported over the road, a 4 hour trip, to her resting place in Kyuquot. There were instructions for those who were going along about respectfully following the lead vehicle.

A slow dispersion of vehicles as they left either for the long trip to Kyuquot (one and a half hours of highway, two hours of twisting logging roads through the mountains, and a half hour boat ride), or for home elsewhere. I was not going to Kyuquot today.

Another elder has passed on from this world to the next. The rest of us are left with things to ponder, a loss to consider, grief to bear, and a life to carry on the best we can, knowing time is short and we must appreciate what we have while we have it.

Much food for thought…….

AJ