How Well Do You Know Your Friends?

Yesterday I attended a Funeral Rosary for an acquaintance of mine. Friends and family spoke about her faith, her hugs, dancing and traveling to the Holy Land. When I would see her at different functions she would say, "I need a hug." In fact, the very first time I met her she gave me a hug. I remember wondering if she had mistaken me for someone else because I did not know the woman hugging me. I asked, "Do you know me or do you hug strangers." Her response was, "I hug everyone"

I heard that she had cancer and another friend would drive her to chemo treatments. Reports would be that she was doing okay, and then another report would be that she was not. At our monthly luncheon in January she was there and I noticed she had lost a lot of weight.  I regret I did not go to her for my hug because within two weeks she was gone.

This morning was her funeral. A gigantic bouquet of orange colored roses graced the altar dwarfing the other flower arrangements. Only about 100 persons were expected, yet there must have been 200 persons with some having to stand along the sides of the chapel.  Some had leather vests on and I found out it was the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA). The group belongs to Chapter E of Arvada and they have traveled cross country on their bikes and Mary and her husband Bob had been avid members of the club. I  found out that Mary had been crowned Individual of the Year in 2016 and that she was the best cookie baker in the club.

What a surprise to hear about Mary's other life!  Never in a thousand years would I have dreamt that Mary was a motorcyclist. I now have a picture in my head of her husband roaring up on his bike and she hops on the back and away they go into the clouds!

At mass, Fr. Jacob gave a beautiful eulogy and mentioned how she had traveled with him on two pilgrimages; one was to the Holy Land and the other was to India. He said that even though she was in a lot of pain, it never stopped her from doing what the other pilgrims were doing. Many times she held his hand as they walked and someone remarked, "Look, it's Mary and Joseph."

Making rosaries out of flowers and being involved with Young at Heart group at Spirit of Christ Catholic Community kept her busy until her illness would not allow her to enjoy those activities. Fr. Jacob remembered how she would come into his office, meet him after mass, or see him in the hall and she always had a hug for him.

Together Again

The grandchildren read a poem about hugs. The poem fit her to a T.

 Hugs

It's wondrous what a hug can do,

A hug can cheer you when you're blue.

A hug can say, "I love you so,"

or "I hate to see you go."

A hug is "Welcome back again,"

and "Great to see you, where've you been?"

A hug can soothe a small child's pain,

and bring a rainbow after rain.

The hug, there's no doubt about it,

we scarcely could survive without it!

A hug delights and warms and charms,

It must be why God gave us arms.

Hugs are great for fathers and mothers,

sweet for sisters, swell for brothers;

and chances are your favorite aunts

love them more than potted plants.

Kittens crave them, puppies love them

Heads of states are not above them.

A hug can break the language barrier,

and make travel so much merrier.

No need to fret about your store of 'em

the more you give, the more there's more of 'em.

So stretch those arms without delay

and give someone a hug today!