A Time to Carry On . . . .

How many can guess from my posting titles of the last two days that "Ecclesiastes" has provided a major influence to us this past week?  

In addition to being one of the readings at Mother's beautiful funeral Mass Friday, many of us have allowed "time to's" direct our individual daily journeys.  

Collectively, we have adhered to the expected clock-driven "time-to's," e.g., be at the church by a certain time, be ready for the Pack River General store catered spread by 5 p.m., Saturday night gathering:  5 or 6 p.m. at Colburn, depending on who told you. 

In addition to being motivated by clocks or watches or cell phones, I'm sure many of us dealt with our indivdual unplanned "time-to's" whenever those moments seized our thoughts.  

~~~A time to drive to the cemetery and reflect upon the long time two people now again sleeping side by side had influenced our lives, knowing that they would continue to do so during our own time here on Earth. Some of us took that time at various times. 

~~~A time to say "good bye" to yet another family friend and to do so with the peace of mind that our Mother needed a good horse.  Laurie said good bye to her beautiful horse Chris and sent him on his way.  Mother definitely has herself a good horse. 

~~~A time to face the responsibility of a commitment made sometime back but a good time because a very special person took part in the commitment---i.e. Bill and Annie working together at yesterday's Idaho Conservation League geocaching seminar. 

~~~A time to gather once again as a family, to enjoy the rest of that wonderful Mexican spread and a few other dishes, to sit and listen as Laurie read cards from family and friends across the country, and a time to tell stories on ourselves and our mother.  For some reason, possibly because I erased it from my mind, I do not remember that day my brother told me to take a stick, stir up the bees nest in the manure pile by the barn and then deal with their angry attacks on my frizzy hair.  Darn, that would have made a good story for a book. 

~~~A time to play in the water on a hot day, a time to sit back and relax and think, a time to for private tears, a time to visit with neighbors, a time to pick ripe raspberries and blueberries, a time to make sure the cats had all come home for the evening, a time to clean up around the kitchen. 

Today, we are entering the time when many of us head out to their respective homes and return to their lives, carrying on with day-to-day responsibilities----only this time with our minds swirling with reflections unfamiliar to us just a week or so ago but now vividly etched forever as the beautiful times we spent, together, honoring the mother we all loved so much.  

And, we shall all take time to appreciate all who have helped us through this sad time.