Today we have visitation at the church back home. We are displaying quilts that my Mother made on the back of the pews. I have just a few to pack up and take. We have lots of helpers, so the project should move right along.
Here in Minnesota visitation can either be the evening before the funeral/celebration of life or an hour before the service. We decided to have both for my Mother as she was very active in many Volunteer organizations, she has many relatives, my Father has many relatives, my Mom was a very social person and knew a lot of people. My Dad was a stay at home read a book and putter in the garden kind of guy, and Mom was just the opposite...think social butterfly. So we are expecting lots of people at the visitation today. People who work on the weekend can come in the evening.
A visitation is where you pay your respects to the family, look at the video and the picture boards. No food is served. You can come and go quickly sign the guest book say hello and leave or you can spend some time sharing memories.
22 comments:
My condolences.
Sounds like it will be a nice visitation & service with all the flowers, friends & family expected.
It sounds like a lovely tribute to your mom and an opportunity to visit with all those who loved and cared for her.
I'm sure there will be as much laughter as tears.
Thinking of you these week as you have prepared for the visitation and for the service. My parents were just the opposite - my mom was the homebody and my dad was the social butterfly.
That sounds like a wonderful way for people to come and say goodbye.
Keeping you all in my thoughts.
I love that you gave people both options to come to visitation. What a beautiful Christmas cactus that is! Sending more hugs. Though I'm sure you will get a lot of them from all of her friends.
I'm so sorry. Easy to see that she loved flowers by the look of that Christmas cactus. That's a good picture.
When your life touched many, many mourn! Both my parents passed over 35 years ago. I still miss them.
Such a nice tribute to your mom and how she lived her life! She was so blessed to have lived so long. Thinking of you today!
The visitation always seems like the best time for friends and family get to visit and share stories of their friend/loved one. Nice idea to display the quilts.
I'm glad you are doing both time periods.
What a lovely photo of your mom and her flowers. :)
Spreading the love out for your mom will help the visitation be less of a blur.
What a great photo of her!! Hope someone in the family inherited her gorgeous Thanksgiving Cactus (or cutting).
Sending a {hug} for yet another hard day.
It sounds like a beautiful way to honor your mother's memory, surrounded by the quilts she lovingly made and cherished. The visitation will undoubtedly be a time filled with love, memories, and the coming together of family and friends to celebrate her life. It's lovely that so many people will have the opportunity to pay their respects and share their memories of your mom. Wishing you strength and comfort during this time. By the way, I just posted a new blog entry, and I think you'll find it uplifting to read.
This will be a lovely gathering of all the people who knew and cared about your mom.
Never heard of visitation but it sounds lovely
Again, my condolences. We picked both options for my mother in law and it worked fine. That is one beautiful holiday cactus your Mom was sitting next to. I've never seen one of that particular color.
I am not familiar with the visitation custom. It soulds lovely.
I'm sure it will depict your Mom's life, her varied interests and her family. A tough time but one of reflection and love. I am so sorry for your loss. Losing a Mom is hard.
That is how we do visitation over here, too. I think the quilts are a lovely touch.
My mother's side is a little different. They do no visitation and services are private. I am the oldest on that side (and have been for a long while). I'm still not sure what I want. My husband's family owned a funeral home so they do everything they can think of. He would rather have something in the middle.
Thinking of you this weekend.
I pray that all is going well for your family today and tonight. Be at peace.
Visitations are a good time to remember and also the family can regroup to see all the support her friends had for her. I really like the photo of your mom and the Christmas cactus.
It sounds like a lovely service and the quilts over the back of the pews is such a great idea. She must have had a green thumb too because I have never seen so many flowers on a Christmas cactus before! It's beautiful. I'm glad you have a lot of help.
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