Five minutes before the hour, I logged into the Zoom link provided on my cousin’s Facebook page to attend my aunt’s funeral. As I joined, I was transported to a bird’s-eye view of my childhood church, Calvary Presbyterian, while my cousin’s husband’s band filled the air with music.
Unfortunately, when the microphone switched to the podium, the sound for virtual attendees fell silent. In the chat, several people, including myself, tried to troubleshoot how to notify someone in the room about the issue. After twenty minutes, an elderly gentleman in a suit walked forward with a large orange pom-pom microphone, which was then passed to each speaker. Turns out my step-mom Paula relayed the message.
From the slideshow to the preacher’s words and hearing my cousins share memories, the physical distance between us no longer mattered. I felt my aunt’s presence the moment someone said, “When she spoke to you, it was just to you. Her attention and love made you feel truly cared for.” And when someone mentioned her text messages, I immediately thought of the ones I’d received—endless “She’s so beautiful, Jack” and “Please more pictures” about my daughter, Evelyn.
What started as an “I guess I’ll go” moment turned into “I’m so grateful I went.”
Now, I’m exhausted and even fell asleep watching a silly Netflix Halloween movie next to Evelyn and Dave, all cuddled up in bed. I don’t completely regret tagging along to the fair with my sister-in-law and her kids, but I should have considered the cost of “free” entry. The mango smoothie, corn dog, fries, and gondola ride set us back nearly fifty dollars. And did I tell you the actual day we’re going to the fair is tomorrow?
Two doors down, Evelyn’s best friend Emma cried for fifteen minutes earlier when she found out Evelyn wouldn’t be home today. So there’s no way they’re missing the fair together tomorrow. I might not be going, though. I might opt for a lazy day, maybe trying out my sister-in-law’s gym and prepping for the workweek. My website also needs an update—something I’ve been putting off for a month or more. Maybe I should switch the “resource of the week” to the “resource of the month.”
Alright, that’s all the news from the farm. I hope your weekend went swimmingly. Take care. Love, Jaclynn
PS I saw a calf being born at the fair! That was a first.
Going On 40 