Keep it Real Wednesday
June 1, 2022
Celebrating Rosemary
For many years, Rosemary loved talking about the details of her own funeral. Yet, towards the very end Rosemary performed her last selflessness act and asked that we not have a service for her at all. Why? I believe she worried about Wade and his immunity because of his recent stem cell transplant. At the end, her love of her family was foremost in her mind.
BUT Wade is officially 6 months from his transplant, and we are ready to celebrate Rosemary’s life. I think it is time for closure and celebration for us all.
Rosemary did leave me with a few precarious things to sort through. Go figure!
One of her wishes was (and I am using Rosemary’s unfiltered own words) “If there are butts in the seats at church, I want that collection plate passed around”.
Gulp. What?
My mother was all about being proper when I was growing up, even enforcing the “wearing white after Labor Day” rule. We were raised on manners, etiquette, and social graces and both of our parents were quite the sticklers. Many forks were stuck in my elbows at the dinner table and my arm pinched if I managed to catch a snooze during mass. Being “proper” was important to them.
So, her last request not only shocked me but left me in a conundrum on how to pull it off. I consulted with friends and family, and everyone sympathized with my plight.
Have any of you ever seen a collection plate passed around at a funeral? Uh NO, it would be the tackiest upon tackiest and I can’t quite bring myself to do it. That’s how SHE raised me.
But it was Rosemary’s wish, right?
If you are so inclined to help me grant one of Rosemary’s last wishes, she would appreciate donations made to The Church of the Rock (903 6th Street North Nampa, Idaho 83687) in her name.
Although Rosemary was a Catholic at birth and in heart, it was this tiny nondenominational church in Nampa, Idaho that truly brought her the spiritual and personal peace she needed in the final season of life. Rosemary became the matriarch of this little church and loved the pastor and the people. For the past 15 years Rosemary provided fresh flowers for the altar for special occasions. It is her wish that a collection is made to continue providing fresh flowers in her honor.
So, this isn’t necessarily a plate being passed around, but it is as close as I can get while still adhering to the Ann Landers type manners we were raised on.
We hope you can celebrate Rosemary’s life with us, whether in person or in spirit. You all gave her such great joy the last 3 years through the Blessing Bike and her legacy will continue in the smiles we all continue to generate in her honor.
And… Thank you for allowing me this Keep it Real Wednesday space to slide in her special request so we can leave the collection plate at home on June 26th.
Oh Mother…
