Celebration of Life

A member of my community died suddenly this week. In such a small community, it was huge loss of a woman who was a force of nature. 

Despite the fact that Tracey could not communicate through the use of words, she was always able to communicate a huge amount of joy. She was a member of the Spirit Movers and she danced for Pope John Paul II when he came to visit years ago. She had the biggest smile in the world and her laughter was infectious. She loved the colour pink and looking pretty. Those who lived with her found a great amount of joy in getting dressed up and dancing around. She was a confidant for many of the years of her life and she knew how to keep a secret. 

For a woman who lived much of her life out of public view, one might have expected the church to be empty when we gathered for her funeral. It wasn't. The church was packed. We had all gathered to say goodbye to a source of light and love in our lives who was returning to the ultimate source of light and love. There were tears, and there was laughter. Most importantly, there was dance. It was a celebration of life and most importantly, of the love she was able to offer to those around in her in the course of her life. She will be deeply missed and never forgotten.