at the boathouse

Try not to get worried
Try not to turn on to
Problems that upset you
oh Don't you know
Everything's alright
Yes everything's fine
And we want you to sleep well tonight
Let the world turn without you tonight
If we try
We'll get by
So forget all about us tonight

i spent a few hours today at a memorial service for a friend. it was quite cold and a little breezy which was felt as we were at the boathouse at washington park. several friends talked of their experiences and memories of her. almost all of them cried and brought a tear or two to my eyes as well.

but i think that when her husband spoke, i teared the most. he has been through so much. he himself has been on chemo for several years and then had to nurse his ailing wife through breast cancer, a double mastectomy, and then was at her side as it spread to her spine, her hips, and finally her brain. at the service, he didn't spend time talking about what was. i guess he's been through that already. instead he spent his time saying his goodbyes and sharing some of the more tender moments of the last year with his audience.

then his two daughters, (her step-daughters) shared about this woman that they didn't care for at all who had moved into their lives as a stranger and had become an important confidant and anchor for them. their words broke my heart open, as i realized how most of us probably don't realize what a profound affect we have on others' lives as we are too busy with our own insecurities. then they read a poem that she had kept on her mirror that was about cancer being an unwelcomed guest.

i had a teary afternoon. it was filled with some of the most tender moments i can remember. again, i feel blessed in my life. and i am filled with hope and understanding.

today's sound choice is everything's all right from "jesus christ superstar"