Wednesday September 11, 2002

A beautiful service

My roomie, Steph, let me borrow a black shirt for the funeral. I wore a long grey skirt and black sandals with it. I didn't make it to the wake, which was at 8:30 in the morning, because I went to my research methods class. I shouldn't have. When my professor walked into the room, I told him that I was sorry, but I had to leave early. He shot me the dirtiest look I've ever seen a teacher give me. It was a mistake to even show up. He's mean, and now he doesn't like me. There goes my passing grade. After leaving class early, I raced to the eastside to make it to the church on time. It was the same church where I went to school as a little kid, and it was a little strage being back there. The bells were tolling every 5-10 seconds, and it reminded me of a John Donne poem... Do not ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee. The funeral procession made there way into the church, and it was nice to see so many people there. Sarah, Matt, Missy and I were all wearing coordinating outfits (although we didn't plan it that way). Some people had trouble doing the readings because they were crying, but Sarah's eulogy was awesome. It was funny, uplifting, and exactly like Nanna.

I rode with Sarah, Joanne, and Poppy to the cemetary. Everyone seemed relieved, even Poppy. He said he just did not want to see his wife in pain anymore. Joanne was even joking about how the young funeral director was hitting on her. The gravesite ceremony was short, and afterward we made our way to Aunt Noreen's house to eat. The little kids were happy to be seeing their relatives and eating pizza. I don't think they quite understood that this wasn't just another family party. But when I was a kid, I didn't understand these things much either. After that I went home, and looked through the obits in the Plain Dealer. Her name was there --a whole life, reduced to a small entry in the back of the metro section. I saw another entry from a man who had the same last name --Keller. He was only 41. I wonder how his family is feeling today.

September 11th.