She asked me to write the Eulogy...

Houston, Texas 1982

A while back, my Grandma asked me to do the eulogy at her funeral. "Ya, sure" I said not really thinking about what this would entail. I mean how do you go there mentally and emotionally until you have to? Well I didn't think more about it and then last Sat, on May 5, my wonderful 97 year old Grandmother passed away. You can read her obituary that my Mom worked so hard on at the following link: http://www.thompsonsfuneral.com/obituaries/bernice-boozer-hill. She was an amazing woman. Built and lived her life almost entirely on her own. She never stopped living until the day she passed. She will be forever missed. This is the eulogy that I gave at her memorial service. I actually got through it but with many pauses. I tried that trick of imagining people in their underwear to keep myself calm but the average age in the room was probably 85 so that actually had a reverse effect. So I just kept thinking of my Grandma singing with the heavenly choir of angels and sitting at the Lord's feet with no more pain, sadness, or struggles and I felt peace.

Bits from Me:

My Grandmother would be so thrilled to see this celebration today. She really would. Thank you everyone for being here to support our family and commemorate her joyful life.

There are so many things that I want to share with you to celebrate this wonderful life. But where do I begin?! Ninety seven years worth of material, how do I pick what stories to share, what words to say, and what memories to particularly cherish? Well we all have our own. Each of them very unique memories of times with my grandmother. But I have to guess, that although different, there are some similarities between the threads that weave us together here in this room today.

I think you might agree with me when I say I am ONLY better for knowing her. What more could I ask for in a grandmother? The truth is we can never plan who God puts in our lives or even know why sometimes. But when we trust in Him and know he does have a plan, a good plan, we can then see the goodness in His design. I really only had one grandparent growing up, and boy did I win the lottery with this one. As she would say, we didn’t spend a dime during our time together but we had a million dollars worth of fun.

I think it is safe to say that all of you know her lifelong profession was teaching, specifically music and the 4^th grade. I would like to think of this as her last lesson: a lesson on life to all of her cherished students here on Earth.

·     1.  She would tell you to spend less money and save more. You really don’t need all the “stuff” in your life to keep you happy. In fact, she and her husband bought a second home in the 40s for investment purposes because her Daddy told her it was a good idea. She was making 75$ a month at the time.

·      2. She would tell you to age gracefully. Do this by not getting too much sun on your face, hang out with young people, and most importantly by living a simpler life. There is comfort in simplicity.

4.    3. She would tell you to  be cautious regarding promises of convenience. Sometimes convenience is replaced with consequence. For 97 years, she survived without owning a microwave or cell phone.

·      4. She would tell you that the best part of the country is the South and ultimately South Carolina is the best state. No questions here please. Authority rules.

·      5. She would tell you to raise your children with grateful hearts. A long life of splendor can only be awarded to those with minimal expectations.

·      6. She would tell you to be careful getting too serious in anything. Remember to have fun and keep you spirits up even through the trials and tribulations life brings. Life is for the living and it won’t do anyone any good, including you, to sit around not enjoying it. Enjoy responsibly.

·      7. She would tell you to be a part of a community. She was relentless with me during our phone calls in our early marriage asking if we had established a church. I get it now. We need each other. Whether you are family, friends, neighbors, pew buddies or even strangers passing by, we need each other to be the hands and feet of the Lord. I get it now, community gives us opportunity to connect.

·      8. She would tell you to love your neighbor as yourself. There is no sense in going into detail on this one. Regardless of if you like, dislike, agree, or disagree with, love them. This includes yankee republicans.

·      9. Last but not least, God is good. Trust His Love. This can be hard, but try. It will pay off in the end.

  

    Conclusions: So every time you see the trees and bushes in full bloom, hear an old classic on the radio like Side By Side, or cross over the South Carolina state line, think of her and smile.