A funeral is never an occasion that one looks forward to. There are so many preparations to be made during such a sad time, that it is a wonder that anything gets accomplished at all. I, like so many others, have had my share of funerals during my life.
Yet, there is one that sticks out vividly in my mind. It was for my great grandfather Charles. Although I had only met this extraordinary man twice in my life, his funeral was located in Scotland, a three hour flight from my city. After booking one of the hotels in Ballater to attend the funeral, I began to ask some family members about my great grandfather. I was told that he was a Scot through and through. Apparently he lived by the Scottish code, whatever that meant. It is quite a shame that I never had the opportunity to spend more time with this man, as I feel he had seen quite a few things during his life.
Although you don't frequently hear a funeral referred to as beautiful, that is the only word that can describe this particular one. Yes, the event was sad, but we all knew he had lived a very long, rich, rewarding life. It was just his time to move onto the next adventure. It was an outdoor funeral, as he had made quite clear in his will, backdropped by the Highlands. It was also at his request that each and every single person in attendance hold a celebration of his life following the ceremony. Since people had journeyed a great distance, some from a Edinburgh city centre hotel, some from London, and even some from America, there was little dispute as to whether or not his requests would be followed. It was so comforting to see that my grandfather had touched so many people during his life. What a great way to celebrate the life of a loved one.
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