A beautiful home-going, and a time to share memories!

Lori's "home-going celebration" (a.k.a. funeral) was beautiful!  The church was filled today with family and friends from near and far who came to honor and say goodbye to a woman who touched many, many lives.  Bouquets of flowers surrounded the altar, as did the stories that were shared by some of those closest to her.  Stories about fun times growing up with her cousins, aunts and uncles.  Stories about the incredible, life changing impact she has had on some of her honorary grandkids' lives.  And stories about fun times with friends who thought of her as a sister, and about the way that she and Mike used to banter back and forth with eachother in their own love language (I think the words "shut up" and "weirdo" were among them :)  Lori's cousin shared about the last words that Lori spoke to him, and possibly the last words she spoke here on earth...."take care of Mike".  Even though sometimes they both drove eachother nuts (I can attest to that!) Mike was first and foremost in her mind and heart, even up until her last breath. 

Many people have shared their stories and memories of Lori, and now I'd like to share some of mine.  I met Lori and Mike at a homegroup/bible study at the Peaslee's home, about 5 years ago.  To meet Lori was to instantly become her friend.  She wouldn't have it any other way.  We attended homegroup together for several years, encouraging eachother through the valleys of life, and celebrating the victories.  Lori was so open about everything in her life - good and bad - she made it very easy to be real.  We shared hugs, lunches after church on Sundays, movie nights, bon fires, and more hugs. 

One bon fire night in particular ended up changing my life in an unexpected way.  At the time, my mom (Dorothy) lived about 2 hours away, and had come to visit me and my sons for a week.  I brought her to Lori and Mike's that evening, and I think that was the first time they met.  Mom stayed up on the deck talking to Lori while I joined the party around the fire in their backyard. After about an hour, I went up to the deck to check on Mom - only to find that in that hour Lori had not only met and gotten to know my mom, but she had  talked my mother into moving to Winona!  And if you know Lori, you know that she doesn't just talk about things, she does them.  Not only did she talk my mom into moving here to be closer to us, but she and Mike helped me organize the entire move, including renting a uhaul trailer, commissioning people to help, and driving with me all the way to western Minnesota to move her here only a few weeks later!  I'm not sure that would have all happened had it not been for Lori.

I have many more memories of Lori that I cherish, including the day on the river last fall when she tried to get me to go tubing (not!) and when we saw and photographed an eagle.  And on my wedding day - when I'm pretty sure she stepped right out into the aisle during the recessional to hug me!  She did not hold back her emotions, that's for sure, and for the past few days I have not been able to hold mine back either.  I have learned something from Lori's life, and that is to make time for friends and family.  Lori cherished relationships...not from afar.  She and Mike made time in their lives for those they cared about.  Whenever possible, they traveled to visit family and friends.  They invited people to their home, and to go places together.  And now I am inspired to do the same.  I'm not going to wait anymore until my house is perfect to invite people over.  I'm going to call friends that I haven't seen in a while and make plans to visit.  I'm going to buy a plane ticket and go visit my sister in California.  I'm not going to wait...for we never know how many tomorrows we have left on this earth. 

Thank you, Lori, for teaching me some things about living...and some things about dying.  And most of all, thank you for being my friend.

Please share your memories of Lori - leave a comment by clicking on "comments" below!  If you have a picture that you'd like to share, email it to me and I will post it - takemetomaui (at) hotmail (dot) com.  This blog will remain here as a place for friends and family to come and share memories, and as soon as we teach Mike how to use the computer, he'll be able to see them too =)