Hello Family and Friends,
Everyone has been asking about a service for Linda, when is it, where, etc.
I will now clarify our plans for Saturday, 21 August, 2010.
But before I do that, let me thank those of you who were able to see Linda during her last days in the hospital. Your kind words are most appreciated. To those of you who embraced her in prayer, we thank you. To those of you who sent flowers, we thank you. To those of you who flew in from across the country, we thank you. Every contribution from every thoughtful, caring person was, is, and will always be appreciated by the family and me even if you were not able to visit.
Linda and I kept her illness to ourselves, the immediate family, a few good friends, and our doctors. If you did not have a chance to see her off, please accept our apologies. We just wanted to get well, then report to y'all that we had beaten the illness and were doing fine. Unfortunately, we just ran out of time.
Why not a service? I decided it best to address this matter for Linda the same way now as I would during her life. A service would give her too much attention of a kind that would make her uncomfortable. On the other hand, she loved to have company, she loved to watch family and friends enjoy the pool, she loved a fine but simple meal, and she loved her red wine -- on occasion.
So this is our plan: On Saturday, 21 August, we will have an open house. You are invited to Linda's home to celebrate her, her life, her family, her friends. From mid-morning, through the afternoon, the evening, and into the night, please enjoy yourselves. Stay a little while, stay all day. Whatever makes you comfortable, whatever you feel is appropriate. Meet some people who knew or worked or played with Linda. Chat. Eat. Drink. Swim. Relax.
What to bring? Bring whatever you want. Some people have already brought us their tears. That is perfectly acceptable. Some have already brought condolences, prayers, flowers, food, money,... And the Celebration hasn't even started! We can't afford to feed everyone, but there will be drinks and BBQ, places to sit, places to stand, in the house where it's cool, or outside. Bring your favorite dish. Bring ice. Bring whatever. I am certain everyone can find a spot to be comfortable. Linda liked to be comfortable. Oh, yes, as it is a celebration, bring smiles and laughter, too.
If you would like to gather some people into an audience to say a few words, this is acceptable. We have a local artist who will bring her music. You see, whatever you bring, it's going to be good. You can even bring just yourself.
As for our family and friends who live too far away to make it, no problem. Give us a call on the 21st. You can participate long-distance. Or just send a warm thought our way. You have no idea how much appreciated your calls and kind thoughts will be.
What would we, the family, like to have when the day is done? A proper day of remembrance, proper for who Linda was, and still is to us. I would suppose that others outside of the family would like to walk away from the Celebration with a sense of connection and completion. Think about what you would like. We will try to make that happen, too.
Most of you know where we live. You know our phone numbers. For those of you who do not, shoot me an e-mail and I will return the info.
Best wishes, hope to see you on the 21st.
Ted
Your comments about and experiences with Linda would be most appreciated. Please add to the blog under Our Stories of Linda:
