tvordlj | Eddie's memorial service

The church was decorated for Christmas.
There were stars of different colours and full of glitter all over the ceiling.
There were red roses and white roses on a table with his picture.
There was a piper somewhere in the building and a choir in red robes.
There were two ministers, one belonging to the church and one from the base, the Padre who had also said some words at the burial.
There were quite a few people in full dress uniform, army, air force and a police honour guard. Eddie's two nephews are both newly in the military and they wore their dress uniforms as well. Looking all smart with really short hair and brass buttons.
Eddie's brother Barry said some things, and so did cousin Heather. Heather is probably the most emotional person i know. When she went up, you could hear a collective little gasp. Would she get through it? She did. Just.
I didn't.
Eddie's friends from work got up too. His work friends said that Eddie always made all the men happy because he danced with their wives (so they wouldn't have to!)
The minister talked about Dancing with the Stars and among the Stars. He talked about how, in the Bible, Miriam was the first to dance and she taught the other people how. Dancing was a bit of a theme. Eddie loved to dance, you see.
Did you know that "Lord of the Dance" is a hymn? I didn't. It is though and they sang that as the last one. "Dance, dance, wherever you may be"
Needless to say, i didn't make it through that either.
It was one of the toughest funerals I've ever been to. In some ways, worse than Dad's. Maybe because i'd already been through Dad's, and my friend Carol, and a handful of other relatives this past year. It was still so near the surface. And he was too young.
There was a big poster of photos. He is smiling in every one. A smile so wide he could probably have chewed off his own ears, as my friend Jo would say. From a baby in the pram to photos from the last year or so. Gaggles of cousins, One photo of Eddie on a couch with 5 or 6 little girls all lined up on both sides of him. I think those must have been his cousins on his mom's side.
Heather and her brothers were particularly close to Eddie and Barry. Afterwards, one of her brothers cried on my shoulder and me on his.
We sat near the front, by family, so i had no idea how many people were there until it was over and we walked back down the aisle. It wasn't standing room only, because the had the back folding doors of the church open into the hall and had rows of chairs put up back there.
They were all filled.

Thank you all for all your thoughts and messages this week.