I feel incredibly fortunate today to have had the opportunity to spend time with my extended family this weekend. It was for a My Uncle Bernie's funeral. This sounds sad to most folks but not us Sherrill's:)
See, we know that he is in the loving arms of Jesus and he hurts no more. So really, it was a celebration.
We rarely all get together since we are spread out across N.C. and all have crazy busy lives that seem to be the norm these days. But let me tell ya, it is SO worth it when we do see each other. No other time in my life can I walk into a room with 50 or so people and feel the love I do with these people. See, my memories of growing up include the precious times we all had on Sundays at Maw-maw and Paw-paws eating Sunday supper. And of course every important holiday was spent there as well. All the different personalities and interests never mattered because we were all there for one reason and one reason only...just to be together. Playing hide and seek in that big ole' house (I know y'all remember the "back bedroom"), you could have lost more than a few chaps in that room! Maw-maws front living room that we were NOT allowed in unless it was Thanksgiving or Christmas, running around in the yard playing football or picking your own switch in the back yard, watching Maw-maw and Aunt Georgia hanging laundry on the line, Georgia frying her behind on the electric fence, Peanut and Midgee, Biscuits, Earl making us laugh, pink shag carpet and air conditioning in maw-maws room, that crazy string with the bell on it that would tell Paw-paw when to come up for something to eat if he was down in his shop, and the smell of that shop!!! I still think of him every time I smell sawdust:) And Uncle Gary. I loved those horses and I love me some Gary. I remember snuff and grasshopper shoes. I remember thinking Uncle Billy was a giant...but was never afraid of him because he was one of the sweetest men I knew. Two weeks in the summer every year hearing how maw-maw went and put "M's" on the watermelons she wanted and how we were to NEVER touch paw-paws coke-a-colas. I remember sitting in front of the t.v.with the fire in the hot stove watching Lawrence Welk and then of course Hee-Haw...Watching Hee-Haw now makes me realize the real reason all my uncles and Paw-paw used to want to watch it ;) I remember Maw-maw putting her arms around me and telling me she knew she wasn't remembering things like she should, and that she wanted me to know how much she loved me and Joe and how special we were to her. I loved how we always stood hand in hand (even though it meant we would be in other rooms) and said the blessing before we ate. I miss hearing Maw-maw play one of her many organs...but every time I hear "Will the circle be unbroken..." I start to cry. Not because I'm sad but because I am so grateful to have been part of a family that was/is steeped in such a strong faith. At the end of the day, that is the one thing that has and will always remain. It makes my heart smile to know deep in my bones that even though this life is so very short, I get to be with these wonderful folks on the other side. Thanks for walking down memory lane with me...what sweet memories they are.
