Gram’s Funeral

The Rossetti’s were on their way to the Bed and Breakfast, Liliana was on the phone with the funeral home to make sure everything was in order, Laurel was on the phone with the florist to make sure the flowers for the funeral is what Gram would have wanted, Juliana was on the phone with the Gram’s favorite restaurant Agriturismo Antica Fattoria La Parrina. After the girls were off their phones, Laurel did a quick cleaning of their house before her parents came to visit. She ran upstairs to shower, put makeup on, then pick out a dress, plus practice her eulogy for the funeral. She hadn’t spoken in front of a crowd since she graduated college. Laurel finishes getting ready and she practices her eulogy in front of her mirror and this what she said, “Sofia Vittoria was a kind, loving, sweet, gentle woman who loved everyone she met and she befriend a stranger at the drop of a pin, she not only a wife, grandmother, sister, aunt, and she was also an amazing business woman who truly had a true passion for what she did, her and her husband my grandfather, God rest his soul, build their winery from the ground up and were they were the very first Tuscans to start a home business that was successful and strong, if it wasn’t for their loyal customers that were friends, family, townspeople, and strangers, they would have lost the winery years ago. Sofia was well known through Tuscany, Florence, and all the neighboring cities. It truly saddens my heart to have to say goodbye to a woman who I was very close to and she will be greatly missed, by everyone and this town has suffered true loss, please help me today pay our utmost highest respects and admiration and celebrate the life of Sofia Vittoria.” Laurel started to tear up, her cousin was in the hall listening to her cousin talk about her grandmother and was truly touched by what she had said. She runs up and hugs her cousin and whispers into her ear, “that was amazing I know Gram was listening from heaven and loved it. Thanks Lil, Laurel said, hugging her cousin back, wiping the tears away and sniffling.” Juliana was in her room picking out a whole outfit, she took a quick shower and put on makeup. Laurel was in her room, her phone rings, it's her parents they’re saying they are on their way and following them to the funeral home. Laurel goes downstairs to find Liliana in the kitchen making breakfast before they left, she made waffles, bacon, and toast. “Mom and Dad are on the way here, '' she said looking at Liliana while she was finishing up breakfast. It’s a thing I made extra, she retorted.” Juliana comes down and walks into the kitchen all dressed up, both girls say in unison, you look beautiful. Aww…., thanks ladies you both look beautiful too.” They sat down and started eating when there was a knock on the door, “I got it Laurel says and puts down her toast and swallows her mouthful.” She walks from the kitchen to the hallway and goes to the door to open it, her face lights up when she sees her parents, “hi Mom, Hi Dad, hello sweetie they both said at the same time hugging her tightly.” After a long hello, Laurel invites them in for breakfast, they all walk into the kitchen, Liliana gets up to hug her aunt and uncle. Laurel introduces her new friend to her parents. Mom, Dad, this is Juliana, she is my new friend we met on the plane when I flew up here. She'll be staying with Liliana and I and working at the winery. Hi Juliana, nice to meet you, Juliana these are my parents Lila and Edward. It’s a pleasure to meet you both, she said, shaking their hands.” Come sit and eat, Laurel said sitting down to finish her breakfast we have plenty, Liliana served her aunt and uncle and went to finish her breakfast. After a long conversation it was time for the dishes and Liliana and Juliana offered to help so Laurel could spend time with her parents. “How are you holding up Laurel, her parents ask, I’m doing okay. I teared up a little bit when I practiced my eulogy, I don’t think it has hit me yet, Laurel answered.” They sat on the couch reminiscing over fond memories of Laurel’s grandmother. Liliana comes outs and announces that it’s time to leave, everyone goes to the car and heads to the funeral home. The funeral home was nice. It was in an old Tuscan house but in addition to the house, it was decorated beautifully with Gram’s favorite flowers, some pictures of Gram, and a few pictures of gram and gramps together. There she was sitting on a stand with the front of the coffin open, she looked so small, fragile, and pale, she looked amazing. Gram was wearing her favorite dress. It was definitely hard to see her and even harder not to cry. The family sat in the front row as they waited for the rest of the guests to arrive. The pastor was in the back getting ready speak at the funeral, after all the guests arrived and have paid their respects, the organ music begins playing Gram’s favorite hymn, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, one of Gram’s closest friends came up the podium and started to sing, it was hard to tear up it was one of those songs that hits your heart. When the song was over, the pastor stepped up the podium and began to speak, “we have been gathered here today to remember Sofia Vittoria and to celebrate her life and what she did for her community and her business, she helped build a local school and donated money to help, she donated to the church on a daily basis, she helped build a local hospital where sick people could to be treated. Not only has the family come to say goodbye but the townspeople and community who knew her well and were close friends with her, customers, and strangers who loved Sofia. Even I, who was her pastor for as long as I can remember when I performed the wedding for Luigi and Sofia, what a blessed day that was. We are not only to say goodbye but to celebrate this amazing life and woman who deserves the utmost highest respects, to remember her for her loving heart, her kindness, and her generosity. We are here today to show our love and support for Sofia’s precious loving family. Not only have we sensed our own personal feelings of loss over Sofia, but our hearts have been drawn towards them, and will continue to be with them. As we end, we are here today to seek comfort. We would be less than honest if we said that our hearts have not ached over this situation. We are not too proud to acknowledge that we have come here today trusting God would minister to our hearts and give us strength as we continue to walk with Him”. It is our human nature to want to understand everything now, but trust requires that we lean and rely heavily on God even when things seem unclear. The pastor prayed and closed with a bible verse from Matthew 5:4 Jesus himself said, blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Laurel has prepared a eulogy for her grandmother.” Laurel heard her cue and came of the back room and made her way to the front and stepped up the podium and adjusted the microphone and started to speak, Sofia Vittoria was a kind, loving, sweet, gentle woman who loved everyone she met and she befriend a stranger at the drop of a pin, she not only a wife, grandmother, sister, aunt, she was also an amazing business woman who truly had a true passion for what she did, her and her husband my grandfather, God rest his soul, build their winery from the ground up and were they were the very first Tuscans to start a home business that was successful and strong, if it wasn’t for their loyal customers that were friends, family, townspeople, and strangers, they would have lost the winery years ago. Sofia was well known through Tuscany, Florence and all the neighboring cities. It truly saddens my heart to have to say goodbye to a woman who I was very close to and she will be greatly missed, by everyone and this town has suffered true loss, please help me today pay our utmost highest respects and admiration and celebrate the life of Sofia Vittoria.” Afterwards when Laurel was finished everyone who knew and loved Sofia stood up and applauded Laurel eulogy. When the service was over, Edward, Christian, Franco, Luciano, were all pallbearers and were to carry Grams coffin to the Hearst and placed the coffin in gently and went to wait in the funeral home. When the funeral was empty, and all the cars were accounted for, the funeral procession headed out of the funeral home and to the cemetery, it was a long ride and a bit out in the country, but Gram’s wanted to be buried next to Gramps, it was beautiful cemetery surrounded by cork oaks which big, tall and full this time of year, and Gramps was buried by the trees, the English Cemetery was located in Florence, Italy. The funeral procession pulled into the gated area and pulled through and continued down the long blacktop drive until they reached where her grandmother was to be buried. Laurel had never been to a cemetery not since her gramps died years ago, it was weird for her to be back. The family sat down yet again as the Pastor Lugano, the pastor began, “for as much as it has pleased the Almighty God to take out of this world Sofia Vittoria, we commit her body into the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, looking for that blessed hope when the Lord Himself descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice from an archangel, and with the trump of God, the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord, wherefore comfort ye one another with these words. This ends our service for today, be sure to pay your last and final respects.” The coffin had been lowered into the ground, Laurel and her family were the first to throw flowers into the grave, then everyone else went. The family, friends went to Gram’s favorite restaurant and ate like Italians, thinking about Gram's whole life and celebrating her life.