Mae Blanch: 1928-2010
A good friend of my mother-in-law died last week. My mother-in-law is on a mission in Hong Kong right now, and was unable to attend the funeral. I went with two sisters-in-law as our family representatives.
It was a delightful funeral. I learned lots of lovely things about Mae, and what a wonderful life she led. She never married, but had a large family of nieces, nephews, and dear friends. She was an English professor at BYU (I had a class from her 32 or 33 years ago, and still remember her from that).
But here is what I really enjoyed: the main speakers were five of her women friends. This was a perspective that I loved! Girlfriends see into each other's hearts in a way that is different from everyone else. We are not just mothers or children or siblings or wives to our girlfriends. I'm not minimizing being a mother, child, sibling, or wife - those are very important parts of my being, that enhance and edify my life. But there is a part of me that is just me, and I love how that comes out with my friends.
I think there should be a girlfriend luncheon before every funeral. A time to pay tribute, laugh, and cry amongst ourselves about the special parts of each other that we share because of our friendship.
But even more importantly, we need to have that girlfriend luncheon on a regular basis while we are all alive and able to revel in that friendship together.
Loved your post in honor of Mae Blanch. Isn't a good funeral a joy to attend? That sentence just sounds wrong, doesn't it? But when someone has lived a long full life, and is loved by many, it is a tribute to them that so many people can speak up and make the occasion a happy one. You are so right about the value of women friends!
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