New Jersey Trip

So our reason for going back to New Jersey wasn't the reason we wanted to get us back there but overall it was a good trip. It had been a while since I had been together with that many aunts, uncles, and cousins at the same time. I thought it was a really nice funeral. There were two viewings on Wednesday, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. It was difficult at first to see how much the cancer had beat my grandpa up. He was really skinny and had a big bruise on the right side of his face. But after thinking about it a little I realized he looked like that because of how tough he is and how much it took to actually get him. I think he was fighting off death for three of four weeks until he was ready to go.

I was touched by a couple of things at the viewing. One of them was I had the opportunity to meet some of my grandpa's friends from his AA meetings and talk with a couple of them quite extensively. It was neat to hear what he was like there and to see the difference people can make in each other's lives. I was also very touched that so many of my family's friends and in laws who came to show support. Even people who may have never even met Gramps but who know my dad or my aunt or uncles came to show respect. Again it is interesting to see the difference people can make in each other's lives.

Thursday was the funeral mass in the morning at Visitation Church where my grandfather was an usher and CCD teacher for so many years. I was able to be a pall bearer. The other pall bearers were my brother Jacob, cousin Danny, uncle Alan, uncle Ricky, and my cousin Christina's husband Jeff. I gave a reading with my cousin's son Jeffery. His mom, Christina also

gave a reading and my dad gave the eulogy.

After the mass we drove to the military cemetery and had another small family service there. My aunt Diane led us in the Lord's Prayer. I gave another Eulogy and my cousin Danny said another prayer. During my eulogy I focused on some of the things I learned from Gramps. There were five things I touched on; faith, respect, caring, humor, and toughness. After the eulogy and prayers taps was played and the military color guard folded the flag and presented it to my grandmother.

We had a family luncheon after the funeral and then went back to my grandparents house to visit more. We put the canoe and rowboat in the water and ventured off into the lagoon as we had many times before when Gramps was skippering our small vessels. We chased crabs and fished for snappers while telling jokes and stories.

We cried some but laughed more. Enjoyed the rekindling of family and the support of friends.