Remembered

I just got home from a most beautiful and heartfelt memorial. 
It was lovely, honest, full of love, and touching.
But that was Lylah.
Now, she was not my grandma, but she was Grandma Peavy all the same and shared a special bond with two of my wonderful cousins. Therefore, we were there.
Watching the montage of her life, especially her time with her husband, Jack, was very emotional and as if from a movie.  She was the kind of woman you wouldn't think exists anymore.  As the story goes, she grew up in small town Montana and moved to Seattle to work at Boeing during the war. After meeting Jack and dating for three months, they knew it was meant to be and got married.  Family vacations to Montana were annual, clothes were made and made well, and dessert was never lacking at Grandma's house. If you were family once, you were family always.  The affect she had on others was so powerful, I am sure the service could have continued for another hour just sharing memories alone. Words cannot capture Lylah and why I am writing about her here, but I just wanted to share how marvelous someone can still be. 
As I drive up and down Aurora, come in contact with a hundred people a day at my job, and attempt to navigate my way in this crazy (and getting crazier) world, I want to remember people like Lylah.  People who, no matter what, loved first.  People who were intentional with their family and knew the whereabouts of every cousin, niece, and grandchild. People whose joy and love for Christ defined their very selves. People who, as they pass on, there's absolutely no doubt as to where they are now, enjoying God's Kingdom and happier than ever.
What a pleasure it was to bear witness to such an extraordinary life.  No discoveries were made, no inventions were born, and the only plaque with her name on it will mark where she lie next to her beloved husband, but her life was remarkable. I was honored to be there and know her.
And I hope to remember her as an example of what is truly important- loving others, whether it is your husband, family, or someone you hardly know.
Sorry for the off-topic post, but as I enter into this marriage I have been reflecting on who I want to be in it.  No longer it is just me and my life that I am worrying about, but now I will be a wife to someone and then hopefully a mother and grandmother. And along the way, I want to be someone like Lylah.

Thank you, everyone out there, for also acting as examples to me of how I want to be.  However, I know it will only be by the grace of God. And I'm sure others would agree.  :)