Welcome to Gaia! ::

I know none of you knew my great-aunt (or at least I don't think you did), but I wanted to post a link here for you all to at least read about her and see her picture. The nephew that preceeded her in death is my daddy. 3nodding

http://www.amosfamily.com/Obits/Hillgardner, Anna, 9-30-08.htm

I don't normally post things with my real last name online, but since we are an adult guild I thought and hoped I could trust you all. Don't let me down.

Discuss: online obituaries, are they good or bad?
How beautiful life is and why we don't appreciate someone until they're gone (or the opposite)?
Afterlives...do you believe in them and other related topics?

Your great aunt seems that she's lived a very loving and long life.
But still, it's never easy to let someone go. My heart goes out to you-Truly, it does heart
I think the only person that I've lost that was close to me was my cousin, Bungie.
This kid was supposed to die when he was three years old-Lung Cancer.
He died when he was 21, almost 22.
He always meant a lot to me, but I don't think I ever told him, though I'm sure he knew. He was older than I was, so he hung around my brother a lot. I remember I said my first bad word around him xd He laughed so hard, gave me a hug and welcomed me to "the Dark Side."
You know, the really weird thing that I never realized about him until he was gone was what he taught me.
As a kid who was gonna' die anytime he was admitted to the hospital, I guess you know to Love life and everything and everyone in it no matter what. He's the only person I ever knew who didn't have an enemy. There were a lot of values like that that he instilled in me and I never realized where they came from until he was gone. And already like that, any hole or gap that his passing had left in me, was filled right back up 3nodding
And on a related note, that was the first family reunion we had since six years prior. Does anyone else have that kind of thing happen?
Like, where family never gets together unless it's a funeral? O.o;
What's with that?

I'm using FireFox.
I think it's just in white text for some reason.
I just highlighted it and read sweatdrop

(Yes it was firefox, it worked when I opened I.E.)

Amazing- 95! And a teacher too 3nodding That's so neat, your Aunt had a lot of the same heritage as my family (grandmother's parents came from the Ukraine, lots of Polish too).

Sometimes I have a hard time with the "Waiting to the funeral" to speak well of someone. But like most people, I don't always let my loved ones know just how much I care. I think we get distracted is all-- by work to be done, tests to take, bills to be paid, chores to be done. I don't think these things are bad- but I think we should change our society to allow us to incorporate humanity into these things. I mean- I think it's important people can have pictures of their kids on their desks, that we can socialize in small ways with coworkers, that we can somehow find joy in working on chores as a family--

example on the chores thing: cleaning out the garage can stink- but if you and your spouse/sibling/parent/child (but please, do not combine said categories) can turn up some happening music and work together it's not so bad.

I believe in the afterlife, particularly reincarnation and heaven. I know Catholics don't normally believe in reincarnation- but to me I view it as purgatory and just as in Buddhism you reincarnate until you are ready for enlightenment, I see us as having to give it many gos before we're ready for the kingdom of heaven. And Ghosts are just the afterlife equivlent of people who use Map Quest for directions.

i'm sorry to hear about your loss. though, as everyone has said, it seems that she lived a long and fruitful life.

as for making polish ethnic dishes, i could send you a few recipies from my grandmother's archives, if you wish. i'll warn you though, her recipie for pierogies makes about 12 dozen. eek my grandmother never knew how to make things in small portions.

I am sorry to hear about your aunt passing away. crying