The preacher at our friend Justin's funeral kept saying "This isn't how things are supposed to happen. Parents aren't supposed to bury their children. This just isn't how things are supposed to be." We sat through the service listening to this man speak about how life is merely a stopping point and how Justin was now waiting for us in paradise and eventually he would be there to greet the faithful at the Resurrection. This man seemed to stumble through his words about Justin, while he seemed certain about the glory of all that was Holy. He told us how Justin was an organ donor and how he often took care of abandoned animals, facts shared with him by Justin's parents and sister in a pre-funeral meeting. The attendees of the funeral, family and friends, sang and methodically stood up and sat down to the demands of the congregation. All was laid out in a booklet distributed at the doors before entering the chapel. And I cried.
It wasn't because I was sad. In fact, I think everyone who had the chance to meet Justin carries a little bit of him along into their future. Justin was a person who cared that everyone around him was enjoying themselves. He made a point of including the shy and peculiar folks in conversation. He was so kind and thoughtful and made a point of asking incisive questions, and when speaking with him, you could tell he was doing his very best to pay attention and learn. He was smart and quirky and loved to laugh. And I cried because I felt like this person that I knew and loved so much, was not fully mentioned at the funeral. His mother or father or aunt or sister, or friends, did not say a word about Justin during the ceremony. None of us who knew him better than the preacher did, said a word.
And I am not religious, though I try to look for peace, motivation, and inspiration at these types of ceremonies. I look for unique thought and hope that I find something among the words and passages that I could not have imagined on my own. I look for something that arouses my creativity and to leave feeling a changed person, or in the case of this ceremony, a sense of closure.
If there is anything that I took away from this service it is that, perhaps, this is exactly how things were supposed to happen. While it is not ideal for any parent to bury their child, I could easily see by the numerous friends and family in attendance, that Justin was not a person who merely passed through this world. He affected it. He included us. He cared for his friends and his family and in knowing him, it is certain that he will not soon be forgotten. Why focus on what Justin "could have been" and how he will never reach old age, or marry, or have children. Why not focus on what he was and will continue to be. And maybe that is how it was supposed to happen. Maybe some people are put on this Earth to look out for others, to teach them life skills, and to be the strength that lets those people achieve something even greater than they could have imagined. Justin believed in us, and if that's how it what supposed to happen, Justin did all he possibly could.
The last hymn of the funeral was called "On Eagle's Wings" by Michael Joncas. Robert and I quietly sang it in the style of HARDCORE METAL in Justin's honor. It's what he would have wanted.
"You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
Who abide in His shadow for life,
Say to the Lord, "My Refuge,
My Rock in Whom I trust."
Refrain:
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
The snare of the fowler will never capture you,
And famine will bring you no fear;
Under His Wings your refuge,
His faithfulness your shield.
Refrain
You need not fear the terror of the night,
Nor the arrow that flies by day,
Though thousands fall about you,
Near you it shall not come.
Refrain
For to His angels He's given a command,
To guard you in all of your ways,
Upon their hands they will bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
Refrain"
After the service, the congregation filed into the entry way and everyone was crying and hugging. Justin's sister was wildly crying and hugging all of her friends, professing gratefully, "Thank you so much for coming". Justin's parents were waiting by the door. I went up to Justin's dad and he looked at me and said, "Thank you for coming". And I said.. "I don't know what to say", and quickly followed that by "Thank you for Justin." His dad said, "Yeah, he was a good kid." And I said "I know." I meant it. I hugged his dad and his mom and of course I was steadily weeping.
Justin loved otters, so in his honor, HWS will be crafting a new key design and print. If you see anything otter-ly adorable come out of our studio, know that it is for Justin, someone who deserves to be remembered and was a good kid. Justin...Thank you for everything, and as his family would say, "Goodnight Sweet Prince".
Life at our house has been moving along since the service but a lot of it has been a blur. I have taken the dogs to quite a few outings and been printing. Robert has been sculpting. But I haven't much felt like writing. Bowie and Chase are currently sleeping after an hour long romp at the Duck Pond. I don't think I'm going to detail the past few adventures but I will do my best to give some description to the adventures coming up. When the humidity calms down, we will be casting again, and soon we will be sending the first Photochromic orders out the door. Thanks for your patience and support! We couldn't do it without you.
<3
Chase with Moose
Conewago Recreation Trail
Chase, Bowie, and Eli
Gunpowder Falls Park in MD, Herding dog Meetup with Chalupa and Max
Pine forest
Ferns and deciduous
The "Duck Pond"
