Obit Reading Part 395847395

There were just a little over 2 pages worth of obituaries this week.  That's good.  Typically we have 3 full pages and sometimes more.  There were several who were over 100 years of age who had led nice long, and full lives.  For example, Ms. Carmen Quintanilla Flores (who let me just interject here that I find it unusual for a woman of her age to use the title Ms.  She must be a progressive thinker!)  Ms. Carmen wrote part of her obituary herownself and called it "Los Caminos de la Vida" the roads of life.

Here's some of what she said:

"Who would have thought that one hundred years is a long time but instead feels like a brief moment. Los Caminos de la Vida started in Parras, Coahuila (a state of Mexico just south of TX) with my parents who worked with the Madero family while at the same time working in my grandparent's vinery. All was well until the Mexico Revolution came and my parents were forced to leave and go to Monterrey, Mexico. My father had family in Monterry and stayed with them for a short period, but then decided to come to the United States with nothing but our clothes in a stage coach - my son Fernando would say in a covered wagon - NO, NO NO, Coach. It was very hard leaving your country and having to start over but the Good Lord helped us to have a new beginning in spite of the hard roads of life. I am thankful for meeting my husband at my mother's boarding house. He came to San Antonio to study from Zapata, TX. His family had received land grants way before Texas belonged to the U.S. A very proud traditional ranching family with deep roots in Texas that is maintained today."

Then she goes on to say "I would not have imagined flying in an airplane to go visit my family or flying to a foreign country to go on vacation in a matter of hours. Riding in a car (Model T) for the first time was an adventure beyond belief and in later years riding in cars with lots of comfort and air conditioning - amazing. Thank You Lord for allowing me to have seen and experienced with all my children, granchildren and great grandchildren Los Caminos de la Vida."

Her family did the "before and after" pictures, as I call them.  One when she was a young fashionplate and on as a grandmother.  She was quite the looker!

Then we come to George Guzman who was a handsome Navy man from back in the day.  Because of his love of the sea he is getting a military burial-at-sea and the family was nice enough to give a brief description of that procedure.  I had no idea about this, so of course, I thought I would share it with you.

"It's because of George's love of the Navy and sea that final disposition will occur with a burial-at-sea in the Pacific Ocean. During the ceremony, performed by a U.S. Navy chaplain, the active-duty ship will come to full stop with its colors at half-mast. The officer passes the word "All hands bury the dead." After the sailors are assembled and called to attention, all stand at "parade rest", read scriptures and prayers, and commit George's remains to seas. The officiate reads a benediction, the firing detail fires three volleys and the bugler plays "Taps".

Can you just picture that?  It doesn't say if the family will get to participate in this or not.  But let me tell you, I have attended several military funerals and it is heart-wrenching when they salute them, fold the flag, hand it to the mama, play taps and fire the guns.  Nothing is as moving as that.

I leave you now with a short but very sweet and heart-warming tribute to a man not much older than myself.

"Kevin Jon Johnson

Beloved brother, loving husband, dedicated father and most loyal friend was called home by his Lord. With valiant effors, Kevin continued to epitomize the man of character he was. Quick to smile, fun to be with and a firerce defender of that which is right. Althogh those left behind will deeply miss him, we were blessed by the time we shared with him. Heaven will enjoy his presence. He now joins his dear friends Mel & Joe to fish off God's pier where the fish always bite, the stories always fun and beer cold."  (spelling and grammar are theirs)

Have I ever mentioned that beside being a birth doula one of my fondest wishes is to take the training to be a hospice volunteer?  Essentially it is really being a "death doula".  You provide pretty much the same care, respect and help for this life transition as you would for the other.  I have thought about this for a really long time, and I am now ready to embark on this new adventure.

If any of you have done this and have words of wisdom, please feel free to share.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by and please leave me some comments.  I love to hear from you.