Guppy's Memorial Service

Yesterday was a dark day - the day of Guppy's memorial service. It was packed - standing room only - about 420 people. It was a total blur; we walked in after the congregation was assembled and standing. I couldn't bring myself to look all the way back in the church, but I heard that people were spilling out the back and sitting in the hall, listening to the service on the loudspeakers. Seriously, it seemed like it was all happening to someone else. Still does, actually; I feel like my mom will call any minute to get the latest update on her grandgirls.

After the service we had a reception line. It took at least an hour to greet everyone. Four or five people told me that I look just like Guppy (which is a beautiful compliment). All the good appetizers were gone by the time we were done, though (bummer).

Luckily my mom's BFF had an "after party." We had delicious pizza and salad and wine, until Rose #3 was so desperate to leave we just had to go. (Turns out Rose #3 has a viral cold with wheezing and a fever; she is on nebs and steroid. I just want to say: bad night to have to stay up with a sick baby.)

As humans are wont to do, I am looking for a teeny tiny silver lining in this terrible hole that has been left in our life. One is that we put together a fabulous slide show with pictures of Mom. Some of these pictures I had never seen before; others, I hadn't seen in a long time. I picked a few of the pictures from her early life to include in this post.

Here's mom when she was pretty little, maybe 6, enjoying flowers as she did her entire life:

Here's Mom with her mom, Grandma Dawkins, for whom I am named:

Here's Mom when she was in high school at St. Mary's:

And here is Mom with her sister-in-law (whose daughter, my cousin, is her spitting image):

And here is a recent one; this is SO Guppy. She loved fireworks. Being outside. Being with her family. The look on her face is classic. Oh, I miss her:

Rest in peace, Guppy. How will we ever get over missing you?