I attended a funeral yesterday, for a lady who spent 83 fabulous years on this planet.  Listening to someone’s life being reviewed in a eulogy is a profound experience. 

While I knew her mostly as Grannie, this lady had a name.  And each time her name was spoken in this eulogy, I jumped a little.  Her name was Aline, which is awfully close to my own name.  It was as if God was poking me and saying “Listen up…there’s something I want to tell you!”

The funeral was private…family only.  I am fortunate enough to still be considered a part of Aline’s family, even though I’ve been divorced from her grandson since 1997. 

Aline was not your typical cookie-baking grandmother.  She had six children, worked through her 70’s and has cruised down the Nile River.  She was strong, opinionated and astonishingly beautiful.  And at all times, Aline was poised, elegant and gracious.

While her professional achievements were briefly mentioned, it was her life as a mother that was celebrated.  Her strength, her devotion to her family and her adult children’s sincere appreciation that she was their mother.

 I only knew Aline for the last 20 or so years, and in that time, her life seemed charmed.  She was wealthy enough to travel the world, provide generous gifts to her family and live in a large, comfortable home.  But there were some crazy years in there before I knew her…after all, she had SIX children.  And she worked, during a time when mothers typically did not.  Somehow she got through the years and every one of those six children grew up to be amazing adults.  Watching those children, and her husband of 67 years, stand around Aline’s coffin yesterday, saying Goodbye, taught me something:

Being a mother is a gift. 
It is a privilege. 
Not everyone gets this chance. 
We all have times when things don’t seem to be going so well. 
But the job we do, as mothers, matters.

Thank you, Aline.  It was great to know you.