Laura's Wish

We drove out to Ashfield Friday for Laura Kulp's funeral, which was on Saturday morning. We worked our way over to the family's farm (this photo was taken late last autumn) and gathered with the Coleman and Kulp families for dinner. Laura's cousin from Arkansas said grace as we gathered around the table (there were about 25-30 of us) and David thanked everyone for being so supportive and prayerful during Laura's long ordeal. Joe & Natalie (Coleman, Laura's parents) spent most of their time trying to make sure everyone was comfortable, full, and had everything they needed. This is so typical of them. They and their entire family are so welcoming and embracing, one can not help but feel like part of the family, even if you have just met them moments earlier.

Their faith is powerful and it shows throughout everyone that comes in contact with them. And Laura and Elena (our daughter-in-law) are such beautiful examples of that. They too are always so warm and caring about everyone. The weekend was filled with that warmth and care, and Laura pretty much directed the weekend. She had wanted certain music played at her service, and so it was. She selected the readings. And she had insisted that the gathering before and after be joyful. And so it was. There were laughs and tears of course (David had put together a beautiful slideshow on his computer which was just running on loop all day, and everyone stopped to watch and remember in their own peaceful moment amidst the chaos of kids and kitchen!), but mostly the sounds of friends and family sharing stories, the little kids playing hide and seek, wiffle ball, swinging, having adventures in the barn, floating rocks on leaves in the pond, and constantly on the search for another cookie or two. Of course there was enough food to feed a cast of thousands, and at times there seemed to be that many people there. The Colemans just make loving friends of everyone and so do the Kulps, and everyone loves them in return. People came from Arkansas, California, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and of course from all over Massachusetts, and it was a tribute - and a thank you - to Laura and her family. This is family as it should be. We need not be blood-related, but must realize (and live) that we are all related by God's love. It is powerful, peaceful, and beautiful. We often are oblivious to that as we get wrapped up in our daily list of distractions.

Sunday was Emma's birthday (our oldest grandaughter) and we had a smaller gathering again (about 25 or so) after going to Mass together. When Gramma Eileen and I left to return home, it was a parting that was emotional but hopeful. Laura will be missed by so many, but she never felt sorry for herself and insisted that no one else feel that way either. So she has used Christ's strength to empower us all to move on...with hope, love, family, and friends. That was Laura's wish for us all.