No sooner were we in the door from our vacation than we found out that my last surviving aunt died on my mother's side. Today I was one of the pallbearers.
The life of Aunt Mary is vivid in my mind. From young I remember her cheerful disposition and inspired leadership of primary Sunday School. She and her husband owned a fruit farm and in the summers I helped harvest peaches, and early tomatoes. Despite the heat and the nagging peach fuzz under the collar she lightened the day with her jokes and mid afternoon treats. Her family arrived from Russia in 1926 after the Russian Revolution and struggled for many years to gain a foothold in their new country. She was an inspiration to her many friends and family over the years.
This morning I accessed the Internet site of the local funeral home which took care of the arrangements. I discovered that websites have become a valuable vehicle in informing the public about a death. They provide an opportunity to find out about the arrangements, to send flowers or make a memorial donation, to leave a condolence message, and to even view attachments such as a video of snapshots provided by the family.
How have web based communications and technologies helped you to reach out?
(The image above is of the rose I received at the cemetery.)
